ELECTROMIGRATION RELIABILITY OF CU INTERCONNECTS AND IMPACTS OF LOW K DIELECTRICS

Electromigration behavior of Cu dual-damascene structures has been investigated using a statistical approach. Results on failure statistics and threshold current density-length products will be presented first for Cu/oxide structures, and then compared with Cu/low k structures. The impact of weak thermomechanical properties of low k dielectrics on EM lifetime and damage mechanism will be discussed.

Paul S. Ho

Dr. Paul S. Ho is the Director of the Laboratory for Interconnect and Packaging at J.J. Pickle Research Campus, The University of Texas at Austin. He received the B.S. in engineering at National Chengkung University, Taiwan and Ph.D. in physics at Rensselaer Polytechnique Institute. He joined the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Cornell University in 1966 and became an Associate Professor in 1972. In 1972, he joined the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center and has held a number of management positions. In 1991, he joined the faculty at the University of Texas at Austin and was appointed the Cockrell family Regents chair in Materials Science and engineering. His current research is in the areas of thin films and interfaces in multilayered structures for interconnect and packaging applications. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Vacuum Society.