In situ stress measurements during two-dimensional growth of low mobility metal films on amorphous Si were used to demonstrate the impact of interface reactivity and phase transformation on stress evolution. Using ${\mathrm{Mo}}_{1-x}{\mathrm{Si}}_x$ films as examples, the results show that the tensile stress rise, which develops after the film has become crystalline, is correlated with an increase in lateral grain size. The origin of the tensile stress is attributed to the volume change resulting from the alloy crystallization, which occurs at a concentration-dependent critical thickness.

• Received 26 October 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.096101