Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
In this work, the electromigration (EM)-behaviour of bamboo RIE and damascene Al(Cu) interconnects has been studied by drift experiments. For RIE lines, both lattice and interface EM can be operative, depending on the Cu-distribution. Cu-alloying only retains its retarding effect for Al-diffusion at metallic interfaces, while the accompanying presence of an incubation time was found to become rate-controlling for the EM-performance at operating conditions. Contrary to the case of polycrystalline lines, the higher EM-threshold still observed for bamboo damascene relative to RIE is now insufficient to compensate for the significantly increased Cudepletion rate in bamboo damascene due to both geometrical and metallurgical reasons.