Lifetest IC failures due to metal extrusion and migration resulting from process-induced stress relief

Phil Schani; Horacio Mendez; Dean J. Dreier; Pat Liston; Michael Phillips; John  Sweeney; Mark Franklin; Norm Herr; Brian Aubin; Paul Tuohy

doi:10.1117/12.139340

Lifetest IC failures due to metal extrusion and migration resulting from process-induced stress relief

Phil Schani^*, Horacio Mendez, Dean J. Dreier, Pat Liston, Michael Phillips, John Sweeney, Mark Franklin, Norm Herr, Brian Aubin, Paul Tuohy

^*Corresponding author for this work

Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution book

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

A new multilevel metal failure mechanism is presented in the context of improved manufacturing and reliability. Device failures, with electrical overstress (EOS) characteristics, are shown to be caused by metal-to-metal shorts. These shorts occur when lower metal extrudes through vias and creates upper layer metal protrusions. The metal protrusions can produce immediate or time dependent shorts to closely spaced adjacent metal lines. The metal migration that forms the protrusion failures is unrelated to classical electromigration. This mechanism is unique in that the physical stresses associated with the fabrication process/materials dominates the creation of these protrusions and failures happen without any significant component of electromigration. Effects of stresses from fabrication will be discussed including: sintering conditions, interlevel dielectric properties, and metal system composition. Reliability studies are shown to support the theory that the accelerated lifetest failures from this mechanism occur when a thin oxide breaks down between the protrusion and its adjacent metal line.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Pages	109-119
Number of pages	11
Volume	1802
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.139340
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 1993
Event	Microelectronics Manufacturing and Reliability - San Jose, CA, USA Duration: 21 Sept 1992 → 22 Sept 1992

Conference

Conference	Microelectronics Manufacturing and Reliability
City	San Jose, CA, USA
Period	21/09/92 → 22/09/92

Keywords

failure analysis
microelectronics
stress analysis
electrical overstress
electromigration
metal extrusion

Access to Document

10.1117/12.139340

Cite this

Schani, P., Mendez, H., Dreier, D. J., Liston, P., Phillips, M., Sweeney, J., Franklin, M., Herr, N., Aubin, B., & Tuohy, P. (1993). Lifetest IC failures due to metal extrusion and migration resulting from process-induced stress relief. In Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering (Vol. 1802, pp. 109-119) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.139340

@inproceedings{8a6b0ca7032d4d5c91fe0fe6e453e7d7,

title = "Lifetest IC failures due to metal extrusion and migration resulting from process-induced stress relief",

abstract = "A new multilevel metal failure mechanism is presented in the context of improved manufacturing and reliability. Device failures, with electrical overstress (EOS) characteristics, are shown to be caused by metal-to-metal shorts. These shorts occur when lower metal extrudes through vias and creates upper layer metal protrusions. The metal protrusions can produce immediate or time dependent shorts to closely spaced adjacent metal lines. The metal migration that forms the protrusion failures is unrelated to classical electromigration. This mechanism is unique in that the physical stresses associated with the fabrication process/materials dominates the creation of these protrusions and failures happen without any significant component of electromigration. Effects of stresses from fabrication will be discussed including: sintering conditions, interlevel dielectric properties, and metal system composition. Reliability studies are shown to support the theory that the accelerated lifetest failures from this mechanism occur when a thin oxide breaks down between the protrusion and its adjacent metal line.",

keywords = "failure analysis, microelectronics, stress analysis, electrical overstress, electromigration, metal extrusion",

author = "Phil Schani and Horacio Mendez and Dreier, {Dean J.} and Pat Liston and Michael Phillips and John Sweeney and Mark Franklin and Norm Herr and Brian Aubin and Paul Tuohy",

year = "1993",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1117/12.139340",

language = "English",

isbn = "0819410004",

volume = "1802",

pages = "109--119",

booktitle = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",

note = "Microelectronics Manufacturing and Reliability ; Conference date: 21-09-1992 Through 22-09-1992",

}

Schani, P, Mendez, H, Dreier, DJ, Liston, P, Phillips, M, Sweeney, J, Franklin, M, Herr, N, Aubin, B & Tuohy, P 1993, Lifetest IC failures due to metal extrusion and migration resulting from process-induced stress relief. in Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. vol. 1802, pp. 109-119, Microelectronics Manufacturing and Reliability, San Jose, CA, USA, 21/09/92. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.139340

TY - GEN

T1 - Lifetest IC failures due to metal extrusion and migration resulting from process-induced stress relief

AU - Schani, Phil

AU - Mendez, Horacio

AU - Dreier, Dean J.

AU - Liston, Pat

AU - Phillips, Michael

AU - Sweeney, John

AU - Franklin, Mark

AU - Herr, Norm

AU - Aubin, Brian

AU - Tuohy, Paul

PY - 1993/1/1

Y1 - 1993/1/1

N2 - A new multilevel metal failure mechanism is presented in the context of improved manufacturing and reliability. Device failures, with electrical overstress (EOS) characteristics, are shown to be caused by metal-to-metal shorts. These shorts occur when lower metal extrudes through vias and creates upper layer metal protrusions. The metal protrusions can produce immediate or time dependent shorts to closely spaced adjacent metal lines. The metal migration that forms the protrusion failures is unrelated to classical electromigration. This mechanism is unique in that the physical stresses associated with the fabrication process/materials dominates the creation of these protrusions and failures happen without any significant component of electromigration. Effects of stresses from fabrication will be discussed including: sintering conditions, interlevel dielectric properties, and metal system composition. Reliability studies are shown to support the theory that the accelerated lifetest failures from this mechanism occur when a thin oxide breaks down between the protrusion and its adjacent metal line.

AB - A new multilevel metal failure mechanism is presented in the context of improved manufacturing and reliability. Device failures, with electrical overstress (EOS) characteristics, are shown to be caused by metal-to-metal shorts. These shorts occur when lower metal extrudes through vias and creates upper layer metal protrusions. The metal protrusions can produce immediate or time dependent shorts to closely spaced adjacent metal lines. The metal migration that forms the protrusion failures is unrelated to classical electromigration. This mechanism is unique in that the physical stresses associated with the fabrication process/materials dominates the creation of these protrusions and failures happen without any significant component of electromigration. Effects of stresses from fabrication will be discussed including: sintering conditions, interlevel dielectric properties, and metal system composition. Reliability studies are shown to support the theory that the accelerated lifetest failures from this mechanism occur when a thin oxide breaks down between the protrusion and its adjacent metal line.

KW - failure analysis

KW - microelectronics

KW - stress analysis

KW - electrical overstress

KW - electromigration

KW - metal extrusion

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0027311467&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1117/12.139340

DO - 10.1117/12.139340

M3 - Conference contribution book

AN - SCOPUS:0027311467

SN - 0819410004

VL - 1802

SP - 109

EP - 119

BT - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

T2 - Microelectronics Manufacturing and Reliability

Y2 - 21 September 1992 through 22 September 1992

ER -

Lifetest IC failures due to metal extrusion and migration resulting from process-induced stress relief

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this