Investigation of electromigration in copper interconnects by noise measurements

Vitali Emelianov; Gopal Ganesan; Aleksandar Puzic; Stefan Schulz; Moshe Eizenberg; Hans-Ulrich Habermeier; Hermann Stoll

doi:10.1117/12.497014

9 May 2003 Investigation of electromigration in copper interconnects by noise measurements

Vitali Emelianov, Gopal Ganesan, Aleksandar Puzic, Stefan Schulz, Moshe Eizenberg, Hans-Ulrich Habermeier, Hermann Stoll

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5112, Noise as a Tool for Studying Materials; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.497014
Event: SPIE's First International Symposium on Fluctuations and Noise, 2003, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States

Abstract

Electromigration in sub-micron conductors of Cu and CuAl was studied by 1/f noise measurements for the first time. 1/f noise can serve as a very sensitive indicator for electromigration damage: The 1/f noise level is increased by up to two orders of magnitude whereas the resistance of the damaged interconnects is enhanced by less than a factor of two only. The most striking advantage of the 1/f noise measurement technique compared to the methods frequently used at present for electromigration studies (e.g., the Median Time of Failure, MTF technique) is that it is possible to determine the distribution of the activation energies of the processes involved from a single sample at progressive electromigration damaging. In Cu interconnects a strong increase in the number of mobile defects is observed during electromigration damaging whereas the shape of the distribution of the activation energies (maximum between 0.8 and 0.95 eV) does not change much, except shortly before the failure of the interconnect lines where a shift to higher activation energies (maximum: 1.05 eV) is measured. Significantly higher activation energies observed in undamaged and electromigration damaged CuAl_0.5wt% interconnects indicate an advanced resistance of CuAl alloys to electromigration when compared to pure Cu lines.

Citation Download Citation

Vitali Emelianov, Gopal Ganesan, Aleksandar Puzic, Stefan Schulz, Moshe Eizenberg, Hans-Ulrich Habermeier, and Hermann Stoll "Investigation of electromigration in copper interconnects by noise measurements", Proc. SPIE 5112, Noise as a Tool for Studying Materials, (9 May 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.497014

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available