Electromigration testing—A current problem

Abstract Electromigration is arousing growing interest and concern as a potential failure mechanism in integrated circuit metallization, particularly from users and designers of LSI and other small-geometry devices, in which current densities of 10 5 –10 6 A/cm 2 are becoming increasingly common. This paper examines the various problems associated with conducting and evaluating electromigration tests in order to obtain valid lifetime information about actual devices. The literature is reviewed to indicate the extent and relevancy of the available data, as well as the numerous contradictions and uncertainties that exist. The problems that arise with test procedures, measurements, and the evaluation and application of test data are examined and means for surmounting such problems are suggested.

[1]  P. A. Turner,et al.  Electromigration in conductor stripes under pulsed dc powering , 1972 .

[2]  A. Christou.  Electro‐thermomigration in Al/Si, Au/Si interdigitized test structures , 1973 .

[3]  B. Agarwala,et al.  Dependence of Electromigration‐Induced Failure Time on Length and Width of Aluminum Thin‐Film Conductors , 1970 .

[4]  F. d'Heurle,et al.  Anomalous large grains in alloyed aluminum thin films II. Electromigration and diffusion in thin films with very large grains , 1973 .

[5]  J. C. Anderson.  Applications of thin films in microelectronics , 1972 .

[6]  George L. Schnable,et al.  Procedural Guidelines for the Reliability Assessment of Large-Scale Integrated Circuits. , 1969 .

[7]  C. B. Oliver,et al.  Theory of the Failure of Semiconductor Contacts by Electromigration , 1970 .

[8]  R. Sigsbee,et al.  Failure Model for Electromigration , 1973 .

[9]  I. Ames,et al.  Reduction of electromigration in aluminum films by copper doping , 1970 .

[10]  R. S. Keen,et al.  Advantages of vapor-plated phosphosilicate films in large-scale integrated circuit arrays , 1970 .

[11]  T. Oi,et al.  Hillock-free aluminum thin films for electronic devices , 1971 .

[12]  G. L. Hofman,et al.  On the current density dependence of electromigration in thin films , 1970 .

[13]  P. Ghate,et al.  Concerning electromigration in thin films , 1971 .

[14]  J. K. Howard,et al.  HILLOCKS AS STRUCTURAL MARKERS FOR ELECTROMIGRATION RATE MEASUREMENTS IN THIN FILMS , 1971 .

[15]  L. Berenbaum.  Electromigration Damage of Grain‐Boundary Triple Points in Al Thin Films , 1971 .

[16]  R. Rosenberg,et al.  Electromigration Damage in Aluminum Film Conductors , 1970 .

[17]  Robert Rosenberg,et al.  RESISTANCE MONITORING AND EFFECTS OF NONADHESION DURING ELECTROMIGRATION IN ALUMINUM FILMS , 1968 .

[18]  F. d'Heurle.  Electromigration and failure in electronics: An introduction , 1971 .

[19]  W. Shepherd,et al.  Reduction of Electromigration-Induced Failure in Aluminum Metallization Through Anodization , 1971 .

[20]  G. S. Prokop,et al.  Electromigration Failure at Aluminum‐Silicon Contacts , 1972 .

[21]  T. Yanagawa,et al.  Failure Analysis of Evaporated Metal Interconnections at Contact Windows , 1970 .

[22]  Ravinder J. Sahni,et al.  Use of Test Patterns in Evaluating the Reliability of Integrated Circuits , 1970 .

[23]  G. Gurp,et al.  Electromigration in Al Films Containing Si , 1971 .

[24]  A. Gangulee,et al.  Activation Energy for Electromigration Failure in Aluminum Films Containing Copper , 1972 .

[25]  M. A. Schuster,et al.  Hillock Growth on Vacuum Deposited Aluminum Films , 1972 .

[26]  P. Ghate,et al.  Electromigration‐Induced Failures in, and Microstructure and Resistivity of, Sputtered Gold Films , 1972 .

[27]  J. Black,et al.  Electromigration—A brief survey and some recent results , 1969 .

[28]  John D. Venables,et al.  A Statistical Model for Electromigration Induced Failure in Thin Film Conductors , 1972 .

[29]  G. L. Schnable,et al.  Failure mechanisms in large-scale integrated circuits , 1969 .

[30]  A. Gangulee,et al.  Effect of Alloy Additions on Electromigration Failures in Thin Aluminum Films , 1971 .

[31]  M. J. Attardo,et al.  Statistical Metallurgical Model for Electromigration Failure in Aluminum Thin‐Film Conductors , 1971 .

[32]  R. W. Wilson,et al.  Metallization systems for silicon integrated circuits , 1969 .

[33]  F. d'Heurle,et al.  ELECTROMIGRATION IN SINGLE‐CRYSTAL ALUMINUM FILMS , 1970 .

[34]  Correlation between Resistance Ratios and Electromigration Failure in Aluminum Films , 1971 .

[35]  S. Spitzer,et al.  The effects of dielectric overcoating on electromigration in aluminum interconnections , 1969 .

[36]  P. Ghate,et al.  The Effects of Temperature Cycling on Aluminum-Film Interconnections , 1971 .

[37]  J. Black.  Electromigration failure modes in aluminum metallization for semiconductor devices , 1969 .

[38]  Rolf E. Hummel,et al.  ON THE DIRECTION OF ELECTROMIGRATION IN THIN SILVER, GOLD, AND COPPER FILMS , 1971 .

[39]  A. Gangulee,et al.  Effects of Complex Alloy Additions on Electromigration in Aluminum Thin Films , 1972 .

[40]  F. d'Heurle,et al.  The effect of copper additions on electromigration in aluminum thin films , 1971 .

[41]  Arthur J. Learn,et al.  Effect of structure and processing on electromigration‐induced failure in anodized aluminum , 1973 .

[42]  I. Blech.  Electromigration and crevice formation in thin metallic films , 1972 .

[43]  Superior Aluminum for Interconnections of Integrated Circuits , 1971 .

[44]  E. S. Meieran,et al.  Electromigration in Thin Al Films , 1969 .

[45]  B. Agarwala,et al.  Effect of Microstructure on the Electromigration Life of Thin Film Al–Cu Conductors , 1972 .

[46]  P. Ghate,et al.  ELECTROMIGRATION‐INDUCED FAILURES IN ALUMINUM FILM CONDUCTORS , 1970 .

[47]  T. E. Hartman,et al.  Electromigration in thin gold films , 1969 .

[48]  W. R. Runyan,et al.  Nickel-chromium resistor failure modes and their identification , 1973 .

[49]  B. Agarwala,et al.  Effect of Microstructure on the Electromigration Life of Thin‐Film A1–Cu Conductors , 1972 .

[50]  C. Goldsmith,et al.  Precipitation and solid solution effects in aluminum‐copper thin films and their influence on electromigration , 1973 .

[51]  K. Yokoyama,et al.  Electromigration in Aluminum Film Stripes Coated with Anodic Aluminum Oxide Films , 1973 .

[52]  Arthur J. Learn.  Effect of Redundant Microstructure on Electromigration‐Induced Failure , 1971 .

[53]  R. C. Pitetti.  Electromigration of TiPdAu Conductors , 1972 .

[54]  A. Bobbio,et al.  On the spread of time-to-failure measurements in thin metallic films , 1973 .

[55]  George L. Schnable,et al.  Metalization and Bonds - A Review of Failure Mechanisms , 1967 .

[56]  R. Sigsbee.  Electromigration and metalization lifetimes , 1973 .

[57]  Robert Rosenberg,et al.  Void Formation and Growth During Electromigration in Thin Films , 1971 .