1

The Effects of Pre-Existing Voids on

Electromigration Lifetime Scaling
Carl V. Thompson and Zung-Sun Choi*
Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
* current address: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
2
Outline
Stress evolution and void formation
Movies
Void dynamics and current density
Pre-existing voids
Dealing with voids: atomic reservoirs
3
Electromigration
e
-
Cathode:
Tensile
Stress
Anode:
Compressive
Stress
Cu
current-induced atomic diffusion
q * z j
kT
Dc
J
a
a

=
atomic flux:
caused by a momentum transfer
from electrons
4
Electromigration and Back Stress
e-
Back-stress
Cathode
Tensile
Void
Top View
Anode
Compressive
Extrusion
5
x kT
Dc
q * z j
kT
Dc
J
a a
a
c
c
=
o
O
atomic flux
diffusivity
atomic
concentration
resistivity
current
density
fundamental
charge
atomic
volume
back
stress
electromigration flux
Total atomic flux:
Electromigration and Back Stress
cathode
anode
q * z j
kT
Dc
J
a
a
=
x kT
Dc
J
a
a
c
c
=
o
O
back stress flux
compressive tensile
anode cathode
6
q * z j
kT
Dc
J
a
a
=
electromigration flux
x kT
Dc
J
a
a
c
c
=
o
O
back stress flux
(

|
.
|

\
|
+
c
c
c
c
=
c
c
j q * z
x kT
DB
x t

o
O
o
stress
effective
modulus
current
density
B = effective modulus
of surrounding
material that resists
force due to
electromigration
build-up
stress per electromigrated
atom depends on B
The Effective Modulus
M.A. Korhonen and P. Borgesen, K.N. Tu, and C.-Y. Li, J. Appl. Phys. 73, 3790 (1993).
7
o
nuc
= stress
required to
nucleate a
void
t
e
n
s
i
l
e
c
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
v
e
0
e
-
, Cu
8
o
nuc
= stress
required to
nucleate a
void
t
e
n
s
i
l
e
c
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
v
e
0
e
-
, Cu
9
o
nuc
= stress
required to
nucleate a
void
t
e
n
s
i
l
e
c
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
v
e
0
e
-
, Cu
10
o
nuc
= stress
required to
nucleate a
void
t
e
n
s
i
l
e
c
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
v
e
0
e
-
, Cu
11
o
nuc
= stress
required to
nucleate a
void
t
e
n
s
i
l
e
c
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
i
v
e
0
e
-
, Cu
12
In-Situ Scanning Electron Microscopy
M.A. Meyer, M. Herrmann, E. Langer, E. Zschech, Microelec. Eng., 64, p375 (2002)
E. Zschech, M.A. Meyer, and E. Langer, MRS Symp. Proc. 812, F7.5.1 (2004)
side
view
top
view
Z.-S. Choi, R. Mnig, and C.V. Thompson, J. Mater. Res. 23, 383 (2008).
cathode
cathode
13
In-Situ Observations of Voiding
FIB
Thickness of thinned Si
3
N
4
~100nm Ga ion penetration depth in FIB < 40nm
- Pre-Thin Cap SiN using Focused Ion Beam (FIB)
- Electrical testing and observation in SEM
- After Testing, FIB remaining nitride and characterize
microstructure using Electron Backscattered Diffraction Analysis
(EBSD)
14
In-Situ Observations of Voiding
SEM
Thickness of thinned Si
3
N
4
~100nm Ga ion penetration depth in FIB < 40nm
- Pre-Thin Cap SiN using Focused Ion Beam (FIB)
- Electrical testing and observation in SEM
- After Testing, FIB remaining nitride and characterize
microstructure using Electron Backscattered Diffraction Analysis
(EBSD)
15
In-Situ Observations of Voiding
Thickness of thinned Si
3
N
4
~100nm Ga ion penetration depth in FIB < 40nm
- Pre-Thin Cap SiN using Focused Ion Beam (FIB)
- Electrical testing and observation in SEM
- After Testing, FIB remaining nitride and characterize
microstructure using Electron Backscattered Diffraction
Analysis (EBSD)
EBSD
16
In-Situ SEM of EM in Si
3
N
4
-Capped Sample
Duration of test: 4.15hours
1m
Temperature: 370
o
C
Current density: 3MA/cm
2
Width = 2.25m
e
-
, Cu
17
1m Duration of test: 45.7hours
Void Motion and Grain Orientations
e-
Out-of-plane
grain orientation
Temperature: 370
o
C
Current density: 3MA/cm
2
Width: 1.0m
18
Temperature: 370
o
C
Current density: 3MA/cm
2
Width: 0.3m
Duration of test: 14.8hours
e-
Void Motion and Grain Orientations
Out-of-plane
grain orientation
19
Qualitative Summary of Observations
Some voids first appear at a significant distance from the
cathode.
Voids tend to grow in place before drifting.
Drifting voids do not appear to grow while drifting.
Drifting voids change shape as they move from grain to
grain.
Drifting voids can become pinned.
Pinned voids can shrink or grow.
Fatal voids at a distance from the cathode are more
common in narrower lines.
20
Qualitative Summary of Observations
21
Voids Form at Grain Boundaries
Voids grow when surface diffusion to the grain
boundary exceeds the diffusion away from the grain
boundary;
If void Nucleates: time-to-nucleation j
-2
If void Pre-exists: time to reach critical size j
-1

22
Voids De-Pins at a Critical Size
Once a void reaches a critical size, it will de-pin and
drift:
j
-5/2

P. Brgesen, M.A. Korhonen, D.D. Brown, and C.Y. Li, AIP Conf. Proc. 263, 219 (1992).
2 / 1
gb
j * qz 4
3
volume Depinning
|
|
.
|

\
|
>
O
Time to depinning
23
Surface Electromigration and Void Motion
e-
Void in a single grain.
Void drift rate (D
s
D
int(SiN)
)
Generally, D
s
>> D
int(SiN)
D
s
D
int(SiN)
D
int(SiN)
Direction of the void drift
Void drift rate D
S

Time to reach a critical size

j
-1
24
Void nucleates and grows if: D
int(SiN)_a
> D
int(SiN)_b
Void de-pins if: r > [(3
gb
O)/(4qz* j )]
1/2
Void drifts: drift rate D
s

Summary of Effects of Grain Structure on Void Dynamics

t j
-1
or j
-2

t j
-5/2

t j
-1

25
0
20
40
60
80
100
2.25m 0.3m 1.0m


D
r
i
f
t

V
e
l
o
c
i
t
y

(
n
m
/
m
i
n
)
Drift Velocity vs. Line Width
Wider lines have lower lifetime and larger lifetime variation
26
C.W. Chang et al, Effects of Micro-Voids on the Line-Width Dependence of Electromigration Failure of
Dual- Damascene Copper Interconnects, Appl. Phys. Letts. 90, 193505 (2007)
Narrow lines: high t
50
and high o
t
5
0
(
h
r
s
)
27
Voids can form at
cathode
Voids can form away
from cathode and
grow
Voids can form away
from cathodes and
drift to cathode
Scenarios
28
compressive tensile
anode cathode
-
Cu
+ tensile
- compressive
o
nuc
= critical stress
for void nucleation
29
-
Cu
+ tensile
- compressive
compressive tensile
anode cathode
q * z j
kT
Dc
J
a
a
=
electromigration flux
o
nuc
= critical stress
for void nucleation
30
compressive tensile
anode cathode
o
nuc
= critical stress
for void nucleation
once the stress at the anode reaches the critical stress for void nucleation,
a void will form
q * z j
kT
Dc
J
a
a
=
electromigration flux
31
compressive tensile
anode cathode
x kT
Dc
J
a
a
c
c
=
o
O
back stress flux
q * z j
kT
Dc
J
a
a
=
electromigration flux
o
nuc
= critical stress
for void nucleation
32
-
Cu
+ tensile
- compressive
compressive tensile
anode cathode
x

kT
Dc
q * z j
kT
Dc
a a
c
c
= O
Flux Balance:
electromigration flux
and
back stress flux
balance
o
nuc
= critical stress
for void nucleation
33
-
Cu
+ tensile
- compressive
nuc
extru
L
Ao
x
q * z j
c
c
=
o
O

* z q

jL
OA
=
j
* qz
O

o
nuc
= critical stress
for void nucleation
o
extru
= critical stress
for extrusion
34
-
Cu
+ tensile
- compressive
nuc
extru
L
Ao
' immortal '
* z q
jL
cr
<

o OA
j
* qz
O

cr
o A
Ao
cr
the critical
stress
difference
required to
cause a
tensile or
compressive
failure
o
nuc
Blech Effect:
o
extru
35
Flux Divergences at Grain Boundaries
36
Flux Divergences at Grain Boundaries
For reasonable values of diffusivity difference and length of high-
diffusivity region. A force balance in the high-diffusivity region will
prevent stress from exceeding that at the cathode.
If there is a void at a grain boundary away from the cathode, the
void must have pre-existed.
(Z.-S. Choi, PhD thesis, to be published)
37
S.P. Hau-Riege, J. Appl. Phys. 91, 2014 (2002)b
Y. Kakuhara et al, J. J. Appl. Phys. 48, 096504 (2009)
The Case for Pre-Existing Voids
Observations of voids away from cathodes is common:
Observation of voids in
unstressed de-processed
lines and in TEM are
common:
C.W. Chang et al, Appl.
Phys. Letts. 90, 193505
(2007)
38
The Case for Pre-Existing Voids
Stresses required to nucleate a void >1GPa.
R.J. Gleixner et al, J. Mater. Res. 12, 2081 (1997).
Critical stress for void formation implied from critical length
experiments ~40MPa.
S.P. Hau-Riege, Appl. Phys. 91, 2014 (2002).
The critical void size ~1nm
39
Current Density Scaling
Voids that move have more complex scaling: n = -1 to -2.5
and, varies with j
40
Dealing with Voids: Atomic Reservoirs
No reservoir
Extension reservoir
Multi-level reservoir
41
Atomic Reservoirs: Multi-segment lines
(i) no reservoir t
50
= 35.3 hrs.
(ii) inactive reservoir t
50
= 110.2 hrs.
(iii) active reservoir t
50
= 242.1 hrs.
(T. Chookajorn and C.V. Thompson, unpublished work)
42
Summary:
Consequences of Void Formation Away from the Cathode
Rate of failure depends on de-pinning, and drift. Current
density scaling becomes complex.
Rate of failure depends strongly on the grain structure.
Voids at cathodes and voids away from cathodes create
mixed populations of lifetime scaling, and multimodal failure
statistics.
Different populations have different critical lengths.
Pre-existing voids need only grow and drift.
Reservoirs can be used to collect void volume.