ELECTROMIGRATION-INDUCED FAILURES IN ALUMINUM FILM CONDUCTORS

Abstract

Electromigration-induced failures in aluminum film conductors have been studied. It is shown that large-grain films have a longer mean time to failure (MTF) than the small-grain films. A further increase in MTF is observed for films with a glass overcoating. This increase can be understood in terms of the observed grain growth which results from the glass overcoating process. Histograms showing the location of failures are interpreted to indicate that effects due to both temperature gradients and microstructural inhomogeneities are important.