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The Effects of Passivation Thickness and Initial Aluminum Line Stress on Electromigration Behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2011

Samantha Lee ,
John C. Bravman ,
Paul A. Flinn  and
Tom N. Marieb
Samantha Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
John C. Bravman
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
Paul A. Flinn
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
Tom N. Marieb
Affiliation:
Components Research, Intel Corp., Santa Clara, CA
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Abstract

The electromigration behavior of pure Al lines passivated with oxides of different thicknesses and passivation deposition temperatures was studied. The initial hydrostatic stress states of the passivated Al lines were modeled with finite element modeling (FEM), and, when possible, measured with X-ray diffraction. Conventional wafer-level electromigration tests showed a clear passivation thickness effect, but no detectable effect of initial stress on electromigration lifetimes. Increasing the passivation thickness increased the electromigration lifetimes, which has been observed by other researchers. However, in a sample set where the Al lines were covered with a thin (0. 1µm) oxide layer, the lifetimes were much longer than expected. Differences in the damage morphology and the failure mechanism between the thin and thicker oxides accounted for this unexpected result.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 516: Symposium E – Low Dielectric Constant Materials IV , January 1998 , 249
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1998

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