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Real-Time Tem Studies of Electromigration in Submicron Aluminum Runners

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

S. P. Riege ,
A. W. Hunt  and
J. A. Prybyla
S. P. Riege
Affiliation:
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974
A. W. Hunt
Affiliation:
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974
J. A. Prybyla
Affiliation:
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974
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Abstract

Direct real-time observations of electromigration (EM) in submicron Al interconnects were made using a special sample-stage which allowed TEM observations to be recorded while simultaneously heating and passing current through the sample. The samples consisted of 4000 Å thick Al(0.5wt%Cu) patterned over a TEM-transparent window into five runners in parallel, with linewidths 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 μm. Both passivated and unpassivated samples were examined. A current density of 2 x 106A/cm2 was used with temperatures ranging from 200 - 350°C. The experiments were done using constant voltage testing, and we used a special sample design which dramatically minimized Joule-heating. Our approach has allowed us to directly observe voids form, grow, migrate, pin, fail a runner, and heal, all with respect to the detailed local microstructure of the runners.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 391: Symposium T – Materials Reliability in Microelectronics V , 1995 , 249
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1995

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References

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