热应力条件下VLSI金属化布线的可靠性

利用深层掩埋Ｔｉ－Ｗ自加热结构产生了沿金属化条长方向的温度梯度，通过电阻测温法精确测定实验条上的温度分布，从电迁徙平均失效时间、ＳＥＭ分析等角度，研究了温度梯度对电迁徙的影响。实验发现，选择合适的工艺条件可保证电阻测温法的稳定性；温度梯度的不同取向对电迁徙平均失效时间存在较大影响，逆向温度梯度可极大地提高金属化的抗电迁徙寿命。     

Electromigration characteristics in dual-damascene copper interconnects by difference of via structures

In order to improve the interconnect performance, copper has been used as the interconnect material instead of aluminum. One of the advantages of using copper interconnects instead of aluminum is better electromigration (EM) performance and lower resistance for ultralarge-scale integrated (ULSI) circuits. Dual-damascene processes use different approaches at the via bottom for lowering the via resistance. In this study, the effect of a Ta/TaN diffusion barrier on the reliability and on the electrical performance of copper dual-damascene interconnects was investigated. A higher EM performance in copper dual-damascene structures was obtained in barrier contact via (BCV) interconnect structures with a Ta/TaN barrier layer, while a lower EM performance was observed in direct contact via (DCV) interconnect structures with a bottomless process, although DCV structures had lower via resistance compared to BCV structures. The EM failures in BCV interconnect structures were formed at the via, while those in DCV interconnect structures were formed in the copper line. The existence of a barrier layer at the via bottom was related to the difference of EM failure modes. It was confirmed that the difference in EM characteristics was explained to be due to the fact that the barrier layer at the via bottom enhanced the back stress in the copper line.     

半导体器件金属化与接触可靠性的改善

描述了目前采用的界面效应合金效应，覆盖效应和回流效应等四种提高半导体器件金属化和接触可靠性的方法及其特点。介绍了最新研究成果，展望了其应用前景。     

The Hillock Formation in a Cu/Sn-9Zn/Cu Lamella upon Current Stressing

The electromigration (EM) that occurs in a Cu/Sn-9Zn/Cu lamella was investigated for hillock formation at room temperature with a current density of 10³ A/cm² for up to 230 h. Hillocks and cavities grew in the middle of the bulk solder and at the cathode, respectively. The formation of hillocks was ascribed to a compressive stress resulting from the diffusion of Sn atoms driven by electromigration and Cu-Zn compound formation.     

Electromigration-induced failure in operando characterization of 3D interconnects: microstructure influence

An accurate knowledge of the phenomenon is required to develop a predictive modeling of the electromigration failure. Thus, a hitherto unseen SEM in operando observation method is devised. The test structure with “high density” through silicon vias (TSV) is tested at 623 K with an injected current density of 1 MA/cm². Regular shots of micrographs inform about the voids nucleation, forced in copper lines above the TSV, and about the scenario of their evolution. A clear relation is established between voids evolution and the one of the electrical resistance. The lack of impact of test conditions on the failure mechanism is demonstrated. Finally, the impact of microstructure on the depletion mechanism is discussed. Grain boundaries are preferential voids nucleation sites and influence the voids evolution. A probable effect of grain size and crystallographic orientation is revealed.     

Electromigration-Induced Void Formation at the Cu<Subscript>5</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>8</Subscript>/Solder Interface in a Cu/Sn-9Zn/Cu Sandwich

The electromigration that occurs in a Cu/Sn-9Zn/Cu sandwich was investigated for void formation at room temperature with 10³ A/cm². A focused ion beam revealed that voids nucleated at the intermetallic compound (IMC)/solder interface regardless of the electron flow direction. The needle-like voids initiated at the cathode Cu₅Zn₈/solder interface due to the outward diffusion of Zn atoms in the Zn-rich phase and expanded as a result of the surface diffusion of Sn atoms upon current stressing.     

Degradation mapping in high power IGBT modules using four-point probing

An electrical four-point probing approach is used to estimate local degradation in high power insulated gate bipolar transistor modules subjected to power cycling. By measuring electrical parameters of selected units and components the possibility of mapping the degradation is demonstrated. The development of failures is put in accordance with physical phenomena and materials fatigue. These results are directly usable for reliability purposes with a focus on geometry optimization and enhanced lifetime prediction methods.     

Degradation behavior in InGaAs/GaAs strained-quantum well lasers

Facet degradation mechanisms of a 980-nm InGaAs/GaAs strained-quantum well laser are analyzed by monitoring the optical-beam induced current. It is clarified that the behavior of defects around the facets govern the long-term stability as well as catastrophic-optical damage generation during operation.     

Avoidance vs. repair: New approaches to increasing electromigration robustness in VLSI routing

Studies on further IC development mutually predict that the reliability of future integrated circuits (ICs) will be severely endangered by the occurrence of electromigration (EM). The reason for the increasing number of EM damages are the ongoing structural reductions in the IC. Digital circuits are particularly at risk because they have been neglected in the consideration of EM, resulting in a lack of suitable EM measures. For this reason, a paradigm shift in physical design must be accomplished, complementing the traditional EM verification step after layout creation with a proactive EM-robust physical synthesis. This work presents the necessary adaptations and new approaches by modifying the routing step of digital circuits, resulting in an EM-robust routing result. Our contribution includes the development of EM models, the derivation of EM-suppressing measures, and finally the consideration of these countermeasures in an EM-robust routing process. In summary, our work is an important contribution to increase the EM robustness in digital layouts, thereby ensuring the reliability of future ICs.     

Effect of Intermetallic on Electromigration and Atomic Diffusion in Cu/SnAg3.0Cu0.5/Cu Joints: Experimental and First-Principles Study

Electromigration phenomena in a one-dimensional Cu/SnAg_3.0Cu_0.5/Cu joint were investigated with current stressing. The special effect of intermetallic compound (IMC) layers on the formation of serious electromigration damage induced by nonuniform current density distribution was discussed based on experimental results. Meanwhile, hillocks were observed both at the anode and near the cathode of the joint, and they were described as the result of diffusion of atoms and compressive stress released along grain boundaries to the relatively free surface. Moreover, the diffusion behavior of Cu at the cathode was analyzed with the electromigration equation, and the stability of Ag atoms in the solder during electromigration was evaluated with a first-principles method.     

Temperature-Dependent Phase Segregation in Cu/42Sn-58Bi/Cu Reaction Couples under High Current Density

The effects of current stressing at 10⁴ A/cm² on Cu/42Sn-58Bi/Cu reaction couples with a one-dimensional structure at 23°C, 50°C, and 114°C were investigated. The microstructural evolution during electromigration was examined using scanning electron microscopy. The temperature dependence of the coarsening of the Bi-rich phase, the dominant migrating entity, and hillock/whisker formation in eutectic Sn-Bi were investigated under high current density. During current stressing at 10⁴ A/cm², the average size of the Bi-rich phase remained the same at 23°C, increased at 50°C, and shrank at 140°C. Bi accumulated near the anode side at both high (50°C, 140°C) and low temperature (23°C). At high temperatures, both Sn and Bi diffused towards the anode side, but Bi moved ahead of Sn during current stressing. However, at low temperatures, Sn reversed its direction of migration to the cathode side. Pure Bi hillocks/whiskers and a mixed structure of Sn and Bi hillocks were extruded as a consequence of compressive stress from electromigration- induced mass flow towards the anode side.     

非"均衡布线"对VLSI可靠性的影响

在VLSI的制造过程中,常常由于设计中布线的不均衡,导致芯片性能不稳定或者失效.文章根据一些工艺生产线上的实践,提出了“均衡布线“的概念,并且在集成电路设计、工艺等方面,提出了在非“均衡布线“时影响电路可靠性的一些主要因素(负载效应、应力迁移、电迁移、串扰等)及相应的解决措施.     

Aluminum dual damascene metallization for 0.175 μm DRAM generations and beyond (invited)

This paper presents an overview of issues associated with Al dual damascene process technology. Different integration schemes are discussed and characteristics of metal fill, planarization and reliability are highlighted. Finally, a comparison is made between Al dual damascene, Al RIE, and Cu dual damascene.     

上下游行业用电变化的因果关系及预测方法

通过分析区域内行业用电量的关联关系,可以挖掘行业间的上下游关系,并进一步对行业用电量建模,从而对未来数月的用电量进行预测,以此来应对可能发生的突发情况.利用关联性分析模型,可以对行业用电量的时间序列数据进行深入分析,通过格兰杰因果关系检验方法验证行业间的上下游关系,然后利用向量自回归模型对行业用电量进行建模.实验结果表...     

Variations of temperature coefficient and noise in thin Al and Al/Si resistors subjected to high current density

Electromigration (EM) in thin Al and Al/Si resistors was investigated by measuring the effect of the stress on the resistance, the temperature coefficientα, the low-frequency noise spectrum (20 mHz-1 Hz) and, for some Al samples, on the residual resistance atT = 11 K. It was found that the temperature coefficient variations versus the stress time have a different behavior for Al and Al/Si, that is an oscillation in the first part of the life of the sample and decreases in the last one, in the first case, whereas, in the second, only the oscillation was detected. This behavior, observed for the first time, has been modeled by means of the Mayadas theory, by supposing a Gaussian distribution of the reflection coefficient for electrons at the grain boundaries. The measurement of the residual resistance also supports the hypothesis that the behavior ofa andR _o (the resistance value at 273 K) is mainly due to the modification of the grain-boundary structure and cannot be explained by taking in account only the variation of the residual resistivity. Besides, the noise measurements give a further proof that the origin of the 1/fg spectra in thin films subjected to high current density must be ascribed to phenomena occurring at the grain-boundaries which are correlated to the phenomena causing temperature coefficient variations. This work was supported by the Progetto Finalizzato MADESS, CNR, Italy.     

Electromigration in Line-Type Cu/Sn-Bi/Cu Solder Joints

In this study, the different electromigration (EM) behaviors of eutectic Sn-Bi solder in the solid and molten states were clarified using line-type Cu/Sn-Bi/Cu solder joints. When the eutectic Sn-Bi solder was in the solid state during the EM test, a Bi-rich layer formed at the anode side while a Sn-rich band formed at the cathode side, and the intermetallic compound (IMC) at the cathode side was thicker than that at the anode side. The growth of the Bi-rich layer exhibited a linear dependence on the time of stressing. While the actual temperature of the solder joint increased to 140°C and the solder was in a molten state or partially molten state, two separate Bi-rich layers formed at the anode side and a great many Cu₆Sn₅ IMC precipitates formed between the two Bi-rich layers. Also, the IMC layer at the cathode side was thinner than that at the anode side. With a current-crowding-reduced structure, the products of diffusivity and effective charge number of Bi in the eutectic Cu/Sn-Bi/Cu solder joints stressed with current density of 5 × 10³ A/cm² at 35°C, 55°C, and 75°C were calculated.     

Failure analysis on reflector blackening between lead frame electrodes in LEDs under WHTOL test

Blackening induced lumen decay in a QFN LED after WHTOL reliability test was reported and analyzed in this paper. A new LED blackening failure mechanism was proposed based on solid experimental results. We concluded that the failure process underwent delamination between lead frame and reflector polymer composites followed by chemical penetration, composite corrosion, silver migration, and finally caused blackening failure. Delamination and corrosive de-flash agent were the key factors for the failure mode. Besides, we also estimated the influence of the failure to the optical performance through simulation. Apart from other reported factors, this study highlighted that both composite corrosion and Ag migration could generate serious illumination decrease as well. The outcome of this study is valuable for LED manufacture and quality control in the future.     

深亚微米MOSFET热载流子退化机理及建模的研究进展

本文给出了深亚微米ＭＯＳ器件热载流子效应及可靠性研究与进展,对当前深亚微米ＭＯＳ器件中的主要热载流子现象以及由其引起的器件性能退化的物理机制进行了详细论述。不仅对热电子,同时也对热空穴的影响进行了重点研究,为深亚微米ＣＭＯＳ电路热载流子可靠性研究奠定了基础。本文还讨论了深亚微米器件热载流子可靠性模型,尤其是ＭＯＳ器件的热载流子退化模型。     

Transmission-line-matrix (TLM) modeling of self-heating in AlGaN/GaN transistor structures

Self-heating in AlGaN/GaN (GaN—gallium nitride) heterostructures is an important issue for a large use of these devices in high-density power telecommunication applications. The equation of heat associated with this type of problem does not admit an analytical solution. Hence, we propose a numerical solution based on the use of a transmission line matrix (TLM). The method is easy to program and gives insights on temperature distribution throughout the device. It allows a better understanding of heat behavior and management at each layer that forms the structure. Some TLM simulation results have been compared with those obtained experimentally using integrated micro-Raman/infrared (IR) thermography methods, and have been found to agree within the bounds set by the resolution of the meshes used. The TLM has also the advantage upon other numerical methods of being unconditionally stable, one step and can adapt to complex geometries such as devices with several fingers.     

Annealing behavior of InAs/GaAs quantum dot structures

We investigate the annealing behavior of InAs layers with different thicknesses in a GaAs matrix. The diffusion enhancement by strain, which is well established in strained quantum wells, occurs in InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs). A shift of the QD luminescence peak toward higher energies results from this enhanced diffusion. In the case of structures where a significant portion of the strain is relaxed by dislocations, the interdiffusion becomes negligible, and there is a propensity to generate additional dislocations. This results in a decrease of the QD luminescence intensity, and the QD peak energy is weakly affected.