A novel on chip test method to characterize the creep behavior of metallic layers under heavy ion irradiation

An on chip test method has been developed to characterize the irradiation creep behavior of thin freestanding films under uniaxial tension. The method is based on the use of a long beam involving large internal stress protected from the irradiation flux that imposes a spring like deformation to a specimen beam. These elementary freestanding structures fabricated using a combination of deposition, lithography and release steps are multiplied with different dimensions in order to test different levels of stress and of initial plastic deformation. The method has been validated on 200 and 500 nm thick copper films under heavy copper ions irradiation. The irradiation creep rate is shown to be at least one order of magnitude larger than in the absence of irradiation.