Elastic bending analysis of bilayered beams by an alternative two-variable method

An alternative two-variable method is used to reanalyze thermoelastic bending problems of bilayered beams subjected to external moments and internal stresses. The differences among zero-stress axis, zero-strain axis (i.e. neutral axis), bending axis, centroidal axis, and the parameter conditions for null/single/dual zero-stress axes are investigated analytically and numerically. Comparisons of thermoelastic stress predictions by the present model with Stoney's model and Hsueh's model are discussed in a representative case of GaAs top coat/Si substrate wafers. Results showed that the neutral axis does not coincide with the zero-stress axis in the general case, and the numbers and the locations of zero-strain or zero-stress axes depend on not only elastic modulus, thickness and/or thermal expansion coefficient ratios between the film and the substrate but also mechanical/thermal loading ratio.