IEC 62415:2010

Semiconductor devices - Constant current electromigration test

IEC 62415:2010 describes a method for conventional constant current electromigration testing of metal lines, via string and contacts.

Dispositifs à semiconducteurs - Essai d'électromigration en courant constant

La CEI 62415:2010 décrit une méthode pour des essais conventionnels d'électromigration en courant constant de lignes métalliques, de chaînes de trous de liaison et de contacts de trous de liaison.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 18-May-2010
• ICS: 01 - GENERALITIES. TERMINOLOGY. STANDARDIZATION. DOCUMENTATION
• ICS: 31.080.01 - Semiconductor devices in general
• Technical Committee: TC 47 - Semiconductor devices
• Drafting Committee: WG 5 - TC 47/WG 5
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 31-May-2010
• Completion Date: 19-May-2010

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC 62415 ®
Edition 1.0 2010-05
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Semiconductor devices – Constant current electromigration test

Dispositifs à semiconducteurs – Essai d’électromigration en courant constant

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IEC 62415 ®
Edition 1.0 2010-05
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Semiconductor devices – Constant current electromigration test

Dispositifs à semiconducteurs – Essai d’électromigration en courant constant

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
PRICE CODE
INTERNATIONALE
L
CODE PRIX
ICS 31.080 ISBN 978-2-88910-949-4
– 2 – 62415 © IEC:2010
CONTENTS
FOREWORD.3
1 Scope.5
2 Symbols, terms and definitions .5
2.1 Symbols .5
2.2 Terms and definitions .5
3 Background .6
4 Sample size.6
5 Test structures .6
5.1 Lines .6
5.2 Via chains .7
5.3 Contact chains .7
6 Test conditions .7
7 Failure criteria .8
8 Data analysis.8
Bibliography.11

Figure 1 – TEG of electromigration evaluation for metal line .6
Figure 2 – TEG of electromigration evaluation for vias .7
Figure 3 – Graph fitted lognormal distribution .8
Figure 4 – Estimate procedure of current density exponent.9
Figure 5 – Estimation procedure of activation energy.10

62415 © IEC:2010 – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES –
CONSTANT CURRENT ELECTROMIGRATION TEST

FOREWORD
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patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 62415 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 47:
Semiconductor devices.
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
47/2044/FDIS 47/2054/RVD
Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on
voting indicated in the above table.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

– 4 – 62415 © IEC:2010
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
the stability date indicated on the IEC web site under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data
related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
62415 © IEC:2010 – 5 –
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES –
CONSTANT CURRENT ELECTROMIGRATION TEST

1 Scope
This standard describes a method for conventional constant current electromigration testing of
metal lines, via string and contacts.
2 Symbols, terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following symbols, terms and definitions apply:
2.1 Symbols
2.1.1
J
via_use
the maximum current density permitted to flow in a via of a real product
2.1.2
J
line_use
the maximum current density permitted to flow in a line of a real product
2.1.3
J
via_test
the current density in a via of a test structure during electromigration test
2.1.4
J
line_test
the current density in a line of a test structure during electromigration test
2.1.5
t(x %)
time to failure of x % of the population
NOTE The method for calculation of t (50 %) is described in Clause 8.
2.2 Terms and definitions
2.2.1
TEG
test element group. This is the test structure used for the test
2.2.2
Blech length
the line length below which electromigration time to failure increases sharply [1]
NOTE The drift of metal atoms causes stress build-up in the metal lines, which caused a back flow of atoms.
For short lines the stress gradient is higher than for long lines with the same current density. The forward flow
increases more rapidly with current density than the backflow, and consequently the Blech length is inversely
proportional to the current density. The Blech length can be determined by using a chain with different line lengths
between the vias.
___________
Figures in square brackets refer to the Bibliography.

– 6 – 62415 © IEC:2010
3 Background
The background of electromigration testing as described in this procedure is based on the
assumption that the entire electromigration failure time distribution stays intact when
accelerated. Acceleration can be described by an activation energy and a current acceleration
factor, as originally proposed by Black [2].
4 Sample size
15 samples or more are recommended for each test (each test structure, temperature and
current density). In some cases, to get a better statistical confidence of the results or to
analyze a bimodal distribution, a higher number of samples might be necessary.
5 Test structures
5.1 Lines
Electromigration characterization shall be carried out on fully back-end processed samples.
The metal line test structure in a 4-terminal (Kelvin) configuration shall be used (see Figure
1a).The line length is recommended to be at least 800 μm. The use of monitors for opens,
inter-l
...