X-ray measurements of the depth dependence of stress in gold films

X-rays are used to determine the stress as a function of depth for five evaporated gold films of 0.8--2.5 microns thickness. The depth dependence is achieved by varying the incident angle of the x-rays, which effects the penetration depth of the x-rays into the film. The films, which have a different thermal expansion coefficient than the silicon substrate, are strained as a result of thermal cycling after deposition. The authors find essentially no variation with stress as a function of depth for these films