Texture analysis of damascene-fabricated Cu lines by x-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction and its impact on electromigration performance Electromigration in on-chip Cu interconnections with a selective electroless metal coating, CoWP, CoSnP, or Pd, on the top surface of Cu damascene lines has been investigated. The 10-20 nm thick metal cap significantly improves electromigration lifetime by providing protection against interface diffusion of Cu which has been the leading contributor to metal line failure by electromigration.

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Defects in strained Si layers grown on relaxed SiGe layers were studied using chemical etching and transmission electron microscopy. Defect densities were measured in strained Si layers formed on SiGe buffer layers grown on bulk Si, as well as silicon–germanium-on-insulator substrates. It is found that, in addition to threading dislocations and dislocation pile ups, stacking faults are present in nearly all of the materials studied. The stacking faults are shown to originate in the relaxed SiGe alloy suggesting that they form during the relaxation of the SiGe layer.

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