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The Effects of Accelerated Stress Conditions on Electromigration Failure Kinetics and Void Morphology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

S. Bauguess
Affiliation:
Motorola MOS 12, Semiconductor Products Sector, 1300 N. Alma School Rd, Chandler, AZ 85226
L. H. Liu
Affiliation:
Motorola MOS 12, Semiconductor Products Sector, 1300 N. Alma School Rd, Chandler, AZ 85226
M. L. Dreyer
Affiliation:
Motorola MOS 15, Semiconductor Products Sector, 3026 Cornwallis Rd., RTP NC, 27709
M. Griswold
Affiliation:
Motorola MOS 12, Semiconductor Products Sector, 1300 N. Alma School Rd, Chandler, AZ 85226
E. Hurley
Affiliation:
Motorola MOS 12, Semiconductor Products Sector, 1300 N. Alma School Rd, Chandler, AZ 85226
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Abstract

Accelerated life testing has long been used to measure the electromigration reliability of integrated circuit (IC) metallization systems. In order to establish or verify electromigration design rules for IC products the measured data is extrapolated over a wide range of operating conditions using phenomenological models. These models assume that the components of the diffusional flux, thermal stress and resulting void morphology are independent of test/operating condition. In this paper, electromigration void morphology and failure criteria are studied over a range of stress conditions and microstructures for non-layered AlCu and AlCuSi metallurgies. The failure criteria, defined as the average change in conductor resistance prior to an open circuit condition, was strongly dependent on test current density. Moreover, the nature of the relationship between failure criteria and current density was governed by the linewidth (W) relative to the median grain size (D50). This dependence can be explained qualitatively in terms of the Blech Effect.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996

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