Electromigration Characteristics in PSG/SiO$_2$ Passivated Al-l%Si Thin Film Interconnections

Recent ULSI and multilevel structure trends in microelectronic devices minimize the line width down to a quarter micron and below, which results in the high current densities in thin film interconnections. Under high current densities, an EM(electromigration) induced failure becomes one of the critical problems in a microelectronic device. This study is to improve thin film interconnection materials by investigating the EM characteristics in PSG(phosphosilicate glass)/SiO$_2$ passivated Al-l%Si thin film interconnections. Straight line patterns, wide and narrow link type patterns, and meander type patterns, etc. were fabricated by a standard photholithography process. The main results are as follows. The current crowding effects result in the decrease of the lifetime in thin film interconnections. The electric field effects accelerate the decrease of lifetime in the double-layered thin film interconnections. The lifetime of interconnections also depends upon the current conditions of P.D.C.(pulsed direct current) frequencies applied at the same duty factor.