'Automatized' peel testing: Calculated stresses and deflections in the film.

Film adhesion, which is an important reliability factor in many microelectronic structures, is usually evaluated by peel testing. The loading and the peel angle in peel tests can be controlled best if these tests are "automatized", which could be done, for instance, by applying air pressure to a film through an opening in the substrate. In our analysis we determine, how this pressure is related to the peel (membrane) loading and peel angle for the given film material and thickness. Our study is based on von-Karman's equations of large deflections of plates. The obtained results provide mechanical fundamentals for a rational physical design of an "automatized" peel test vehicle.