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Electromigration study of focused ion beam modified metal lines

Book ·
OSTI ID:260538
;  [1]
  1. IBM Microelectronics Div., Essex Junction, VT (United States)
Focus ion beam (FIB) technology is a commonly used tool for integrated circuit device modification, failure analysis, and a variety of other applications. However, limited reliability data of FIB altered circuit is available. This study describes the electromigration mechanism of FIB-altered Al(Cu-Si)/Ti-layered metal lines. The electromigration failures encountered resulted in Al voids at the anode end of FIB-deposited W and Al{sub 2}Cu precipitates at the cathode end. A higher frequency of Al extrusions was also observed on samples stressed at higher temperatures. These observations indicated that FIB-W was an effective blocking boundary for Al and Cu, and confirmed that Cu does electromigrate before Al. The electromigration mechanism of the FIB-altered line closely resembles the published results from two-level Al/W-line/stud interconnect studies. An activation energy of 0.66 eV, with a current exponent of 1.9 and a lognormal sigma of 0.55, was determined from the kinetic analysis of the FIB-altered metal line.
OSTI ID:
260538
Report Number(s):
CONF-951156--; ISBN 0-87170-554-0
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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