The residual stress in silicon substrates after local thermal oxidation is discussed experimentally using microscopic Raman spectroscopy. The stress distribution in the silicon substrate is determined by three main factors: volume expansion of newly grown silicon–dioxide, deflection of the silicon–nitride film used as an oxidation barrier, and mismatch in thermal expansion coefficients between silicon and silicon dioxide.

Tensile stress increases with the increase of oxide film thickness near the surface of the silicon substrate under the oxide film without nitride film on it. The tensile stress is sometimes more than 100 MPa. On the other hand, a complicated stress change is observed near the surface of the silicon substrate under the nitride film. The tensile stress increases initially, as it does in the area without nitride film on it. However, it decreases with the increase of oxide film thickness, then the compressive stress increases in the area up to 170 MPa. This stress change is explained by considering the drastic structural change of the oxide film under the nitride film edge during oxidation.