Strain was induced in a bridge-shaped freestanding Si membrane (FSSM) by depositing an amorphous SixNy layer to surround the Si membrane. Convergent beam electron diffraction revealed that compressive strain is distributed uniformly along the horizontal direction in SixNy-deposited FSSM. On the other hand, strain decreases to almost zero at the ends of the FSSM, where the SixNy layer beneath the Si layer is replaced SiO2 buried oxide layer. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved