Alternating Current-Induced Damage in Metal Interconnects

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The goal of the project ist to study a new type of damage that has been discovered in metal interconnects and that is due to the passage of time-varying electrical currents. The damage is generated by fatigue from the cyclic thermal strains due to joule heating in the interconnects. The basic intent of the project is to explore the general behavior of this new phenomenon. In particular, the mechanisms for thermal fatigue in small structures will be investigated and the impact on interconnect reliability in technologically relevant devices will be assessed. The influence of interconnect material (Al and Cu), interconnect dimensions and microstructure, the effect of temperature, and the interaction with classical electromigration damage will be studied. This project is proposed as an international collaboration with Prof. Young-Chang Joo at Seoul National University (SNU) in Korea under the KOSEF-DFG Cooperative Program. Part of the work will be performed at SNU and part at the Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung (MPI). The work that will be done at SNU has been proposed to the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) and funding has been requested for a period of two years starting in April 2002. In this proposal, we are applying for funding for the work to be carried out at MPI and for travel of German-based scientists to Korea.