MRS books on materials reliability in microelectronics have become the snapshot of progress in this field. Reduced feature size, increased speed, and larger area are all factors contributing to the continual performance and functionality improvements in integrated circuit technology. These same factors place demands on the reliability of the individual components that make up the IC. Achieving increased reliability requires an improved understanding of both thin-film and patterned-feature materials properties and their degradation mechanisms, how materials and processes used to fabricate ICs interact, and how they may be tailored to enable reliability improvements. This book focuses on the physics and materials science of microelectronics reliability problems rather than the traditional statistical, accelerated electrical testing aspects. Studies are grouped into three large sections covering electromigration, gate oxide reliability and mechanical stress behavior. Topics include: historical summary; reliability issues for Cu metallization; characterization of electromigration phenomena; modelling; microstructural evolution and influences; oxide and device reliability; thin oxynitride dielectrics; noncontact diagnostics; stress effects in thin films and interconnects and microbeam X-ray techniques for stress measurements.

The inexorable drive for increased integrated circuit functionality and performance places growing demands on the metal and dielectric thin films used in fabricating these circuits, as well as spurring demand for new materials applications and processes. This book directly addresses issues of widespread concern in the microelectronics industry - smaller feature sizes, new materials and new applications that challenge the reliability of new technologies. While the book continues the focus on issues related to interconnect reliability, such as electromigration and stress, particular emphasis is placed on the effects of microstructure. An underlying theme is understanding the importance of interactions among different materials and associated interfaces comprising a single structure with dimensions near or below the micrometer scale. Topics include: adhesion and fracture; gate oxide growth and oxide interfaces; surface preparation and gate oxide reliability; oxide degradation and defects; micro-structure, texture and reliability; novel measurement techniques; interconnect performance and reliability modeling; electromigration and interconnect reliability and stress and stress relaxation.

"Constrained Deformation of Materials: Devices, Heterogeneous Structures and Thermo-Mechanical Modeling" is an in-depth look at the mechanical analyses and modeling of advanced small-scale structures and heterogeneous material systems. Mechanical deformations in thin films and miniaturized materials, commonly found in microelectronic devices and packages, MEMS, nanostructures and composite and multi-phase materials, are heavily influenced by the external or internal physical confinement. A continuum mechanics-based approach is used, together with discussions on micro-mechanisms, to treat the subject in a systematic manner under the unified theme. Readers will find valuable information on the proper application of thermo-mechanics in numerical modeling as well as in the interpretation and prediction of physical material behavior, along with many case studies. Additionally, particular attention is paid to practical engineering relevance. Thus real-life reliability issues are discussed in detail to serve the needs of researchers and engineers alike.