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Time-dependent-dielectric-breakdown is quickly becoming a very important topic as low-k materials are
integrated into back-end-of-the-line processes and as interconnect dielectric thicknesses approach the sub 100 nm range.
There still exists a considerable amount of debate on the dominant failure mechanism with or without the presence of a
diffusion barrier. We have developed a series of models for copper-accelerated time-to-failure that we are using to guide
an experimental program to understand failure mechanisms. The models are based on the injection and drift of copper
ions and focus on an increase in the local electric field that allows electrons to enter the dielectric's conduction band.
The models are successful at correlating the time-to-failure for SiO2 dielectrics with and without barriers. The most
important aspects of the model that we are trying to verify experimentally include the role of moisture in the dielectric
oxidizing Cu to form injectable ions, the initiation of failure at the pore-matrix interface in porous dielectrics, a decrease
in the time-to-failure in porous dielectrics due to an increase in Cu solubility, and the need for near perfect barriers to
realize the advantage of using a barrier. The key unknown parameters in all these models are the diffusivities and
solubilities of copper ions in the materials. Models of this type are not restricted to just interlayer dielectrics. Several
failure mechanisms associated with semi-conducting and organic light emitting diodes may also be described by models
of this type.
J. L. Plawsky,W. N. Gill, andR. S. Achanta
"Modeling time-dependent dielectric breakdown with and without barriers", Proc. SPIE 7592, Reliability, Packaging, Testing, and Characterization of MEMS/MOEMS and Nanodevices IX, 75920J (4 February 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.839979
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J. L. Plawsky, W. N. Gill, R. S. Achanta, "Modeling time-dependent dielectric breakdown with and without barriers," Proc. SPIE 7592, Reliability, Packaging, Testing, and Characterization of MEMS/MOEMS and Nanodevices IX, 75920J (4 February 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.839979