RELIABILITY CHALLENGES FOR DEEP-SUBMICRON INTERCONNECTS

Deep submicron interconnects (leads, contacts and vias) are rapidly be coming one of the major reliability challenges as ULSI devices continu e to be scaled. With 0.5um feature sizes now common, trying to balance reliability and performance requirements is increasing difficult as w e move toward < 0.25um. By the end of the decade, current density in m etal leads will be > 0.5 Ma/cm2 and single 0.20-0.25um contacts and vi as will be required to safely carry 1-2ma of current. This increases e lectromigration concerns, with vias generally now being the weakest li nk in a reliable ULSI multilevel-metal system. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scien ce Ltd.