Solutions Manual

11.14. An Al interconnect line has polygranular clusters that are all equal or less
than 5 μm long, and a current density of 0.5 MA cm-2 is passed through it. If
the critical stress for failure is 0.4 x 109 dyne cm-2 (and let Z* equal -6),
should this line fail due to electromigration? What is the critical current
density for which electromigration failure will not occur below for this line?

Answer:

One can use either Eq. 11.63 or 11.64 can be used. For a current density of 0.5 MA
cm-2 and a critical stress of 0.4 x 109 dyne cm-2, (LP)crit is calculated using Eq.
11.64:

(L p )crit = 2σZ *critqρJΩ

2 ∗ 0.4x109 dyne cm− 2 ∗16x10 −24 cm3
= −19 −6
−6 ∗1.6x10 C ∗ 3x10 Ω cm ∗ 0.5x10 Acm 6
−7
−2 ∗ 10 dyne cmJ
−1
( )
= 9.0 x 10-4 cm = 9.0 μm

Since all the polygranular clusters have lengths less than or equal to 5 μm, which is
less than the critical length, the line should not fail. The critical current density for
this line can be calculated by Eq. 11.63,using 5 μm for LP:

σ crit 2Ω σcrit 2Ω
JL p = *
⇒ J crit = *
crit Z qρ Z qρL p

σ crit 2Ω
Jcrit =
Z * qρ L p

0.4x109 dyne cm− 2 ∗ 2 ∗ 16x10− 24 cm3 ⎛ J ⎞

= − 19 −6 −4 ∗⎜ 7 ⎟
−6 ∗ 1.6x10 C ∗ 3x10 Ω cm ∗ 5x10 cm ⎝ 10 dyne cm ⎠
5 -2
= 9.0x10 A cm
-2
= 0.90 MA cm

Current densities below this will not cause electromigration damage.

SILICON VLSI TECHNOLOGY 157 © 2000 by Prentice Hall

Fundamentals, Practice and Modeling Upper Saddle River, NJ.
By Plummer, Deal and Griffin