No abstract

Detailed transmission and scanning electron microscopic images of electromigration-induced open circuit failures are presented for fine line aluminum alloy thin film interconnects. A characteristic slit open circuit, similar to stress migration open circuits in narrow interconnects, is shown for various film compositions, processing, and deposition conditions. It is suggested that slit failure morphology is more generally observed for low (≊1) ratios of conductor line width to film grain size. The slit failures observed often occur near copper rich precipitates. The morphology of several slit voids suggests that they are transgranular across the linewidth, consistent with other recent reports of electromigration induced damage in single crystal interconnects.

AbstractΘ phase CuAl2 precipitate size evolution during coarsening at 310°C in 0.5 μm thick Al-2% (wt) Cu thin films was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Films were sputter deposited onto oxidized Si substrates by standard techniques. The coarsening process preferred the growth of blocky Θ morphologies at Al triple points. Coarsening was via solute Cu diffusion along Al grain boundaries during annealing. The average Θ size dependence on annealing time (t) is approximately (t)1/4 in general agreement with models for particle coarsening along grain boundaries. Concurrent Al grain growth was shown to initially enhance the Θ coarsening rate above (t)1/4 behavior. This boundary coarsening process leads to a grain size dependence of the coarsening rate which has been observed in related and other previous work in thin films. These results are shown to be relevant for effects produced during accelerated electromigration testing, such as previous ‘curious’ 0 morphologies at triple points observed by others, the enhanced flux of Cu during testing, and possible mechanisms affecting electromigration failure processes.

The critical current density of powder metallurgy processed wires is determined in part by the extent of the A 15 phase formation in the vicinity of the Nb/ Al interface.A series of multi-layered samples was made to simulate the reactions in the P/M wires.Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the reactions between the multi-