U.S.-Germany Cooperative Research: Microstructure and Alloying Effects on the Reliability of Conductor Lines

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This award supports Professors William Nix and John Bravman, plus two graduate students, all from Stanford University, to collaborate in studies of failures in electronic materials with Professor Eduard Arzt and his research group of the Institute for Metallurgy of the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Professor Arzt and his students have pioneered the study of `interface controlled` deformation processes, and they have developed a new technique for studying electromigration failure. The U.S. group led by Professor Nix has developed models to describe the flow and accumulation of ions in conductor lines and the initial stages of void formation. They also have specialized equipment for studying the formation and propagation of voids in metal lines. Advances in miniaturization of integrated circuits have exposed the metallic conductor lines to increasingly severe operating conditions. The aim of this research collaboration is to develop a better understanding of the microstructural and alloying effects that control the reliability of conductor lines in integrated circuits. These lines typically carry very high current densities which causes atoms to migrate from one place to another creating damage sites. This leads to the formation of voids and cracks in the surrounding materials, which is the cause of major reliability problems for miniaturized electronic devices. Joining the complementary expertise of these U.S. and German research groups will accelerate progress in understanding such critical electromigration phenomena in conductor lines.