T10 - Physics and Modelling of Electromigration for Cu Interconnects

School of EEE, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Interconnects are essential in Integrated circuit (IC). The reliability of IC depends on the reliability of interconnects. With the continuous advancement in IC, the dimension of interconnect is shrinking and new materials are proposed and used for interconnects. As a results, doubts arise with regard to the reliability of interconnects.

To shorten the interconnect development time and cost, prior knowledge on the new interconnect scheme and process are necessary. With the understanding of the detail physics of Electromigration together with the capability of modelling the physics, such knowledge can be available to speed up the development.

To understand the physics of Electromigration and the various modelling approaches for Electromigration.

This course will benefit those who are interested in the development of interconnects as well as the reliability of interconnects.

• Early formulation of Electromigration theory
• Practical Electromigration formulation
• Diffusion path modelling approach
• Driving force modelling approach
• Holistic modelling approach
• Factors affecting Cu Electromigration reliability
• Discovery of new Electromigration physics through statistics
• New Electromigration failure in Cu nano-interconnects
• Change in material properties of metals at nano-scale levels
• Future Challenges

Dr. Tan received his B.Eng degree (Hons) in Electrical Engineering from National University of Singapore in 1984, and the M.A.Sc degree and Ph.D degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto, Canada in 1988 and 1992 respectively. He is currently a senior member of IEEE, immediate past Chair of the IEEE Singapore Section, Chairman of the Certified Reliability Engineer Board in Singapore Quality Institute, Committee member of the Strategy & Planning committee of the Singapore Quality Institute. He is appointed as the Fellow of Singapore Quality Institute and Fellow of Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, and Faculty Associate of Institute of Microelectronics, Singapore.

Dr. Tan joined NTU as an academic staff in 1997, and he is now an Assoc. Professor in the School of EEE. He has published more than 100 international Journal and conference papers in the last four years. He has been invited to give several talks on reliability in various international workshop and conferences. He is also a reviewers to several international Journals on reliability engineering. He is also invited to write a book in the International Series on Advances in Solid State Electronics and Technology edited by Prof C.T. Sah on ULSI Interconnect Reliability.

He has organized many international conferences, and served as the Chair person for a few international conferences, including many IEEE International Conferences. He is the General Chair of IEEE International Conference on Nanoelectronics 2008, and General Co-Chair of International Symposium on Integrated Circuit 2007.

Upon completion of his Ph.D degree in 1992, he worked in Taiwan for 5 years as a Quality and Reliability Manager as well as Engineering Consultant in LiteOn Power Semiconductor Corp. In 1996, he joined Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd in Singapore as a Quality and Reliability Section Manager. In Apr 1997, he joined the Nanyang Technological University as a lecturer in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, teaching final year and master year students on IC reliability and failure analysis.