@inproceedings{875940efd81d41dab3c8ff0529afa9fb,
title = "In-situ TEM study of electromigration in Cu lines",
abstract = "The density of electric current passing through interconnecting wires in integrated circuits (IC) is increasing with continuous miniaturization of IC. Under a high operating temperature and large electric current density, some voids and hillocks may form in the interconnecting wires due to electromigration (EM), leading to device failures eventually. In this study atomic-scale EM in unpassivated copper lines has been investigated in ultrahigh vacuum by in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The EM-induced atomic surface diffusion was found to be crystal-orientation dependent and occurred preferentially on the {111} planes along <110> directions. The high-resolution TEM images and the electron diffraction patterns of a (111)-oriented Cu grain in the Cu line revealed an EM-induced step structure at surface. Moreover, the triple point where a twin boundary meets a grain boundary was found to slow down atomic EM at grain boundaries because of the incubation time of nucleation of a new step at the triple point. The long incubation time slows down the overall rate of atomic transport. The results suggest that the EM reliability of Cu interconnects may be enhanced by forming a high density of nanometer scaled twins in the coarse-grain Cu wires. {\textcopyright} 2009 American Institute of Physics.",
keywords = "Electromigration, interconnects, diffusion, twin",
author = "Liao, {C. N.} and Chen, {K. C.} and Wu, {W. W.} and Chen, {L. J.} and Tu, {K. N.}",
note = "Publication details (e.g. title, author(s), publication statuses and dates) are captured on an “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” basis at the time of record harvesting from the data source. Suggestions for further amendments or supplementary information can be sent to
[email protected].; 10th International Workshop on Stress-Induced Phenomena in Metallization ; Conference date: 05-11-2008 Through 07-11-2008",
year = "2009",
month = jun,
day = "18",
doi = "10.1063/1.3169252",
language = "English",
isbn = "9780735406803",
series = "AIP Conference Proceedings",
publisher = "American Institute of Physics",
number = "1",
pages = "12--19",
editor = "Ho, {Paul S.} and Ehrenfried Zschech and Shinichi Ogawa",
booktitle = "Stress-Induced Phenomena in Metallization",
address = "United States",
}