Design Rules and Acceleration for Electromigration-Induced Failure: Coupled Modeling and Experimental Verification

IEEE Distinguished Lecture

Design Rules and Acceleration for Electromigration-Induced Failure: Coupled Modeling and Experimental Verification

Guest Speaker：Xuejun Fan

Date and Time：July 28, 2023 15:00

Venue：B312 Conference Room, School of Integrated Circuits, Tsinghua University

Abstract

As demand for high-performance semiconductors increases, heterogeneous integration using a combination of 3D monolithic and 2.5D/3D advanced packaging technology can boost the system performance significantly. Consequently, electromigation (EM)-induced failure in micro-bumps and redistribution lines (RDL) has become a great concern. In addition, as electrical current is eventually merged into substrates, thermomigration (TM) due to Joule heating, combined with EM, is one of the potential risks in substrates. In this presentation, I will present some general guidelines about design rules and accelerated tests for electromigration (EM)-induced failure, based on fully coupled modeling. For years, the existing EM theories have succeeded only in partially predicting or explaining complicated phenomena in experiments. Recently, we sorted out many incorrect models and assumptions under the framework of the coupling theory. In addition, taking multi-scale effects into consideration, we used molecular dynamics simulation to determine the key microscopic parameters, thus establishing a complete and self-consistent multi-physics coupling model of electromigration. We further conducted extensive EM tests and collected consistent test data for the purpose of model verification. The theoretical and numerical results fully reproduced the various phenomena in the experiments, including the impact of thermomigration. We then used the validated theory to provide new insights into design rules and acceleration factors to prevent EM-induced failure. This presentation is based on the content of the following two papers, which can be downloaded from the links below.

Cui, Z., Fan, X., Zhang, Y., Vollebregt, S., Fan, J., Zhang, G.Q, 2023. Coupling Model of Electromigration and Experimental Verification – Part I: Effect of Atomic Concentration Gradient. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids. Volume 174, May 2023, 105257.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2023.105257

Cui, Z., Fan, X., Zhang, Y., Vollebregt, S., Fan, J., Zhang, G.Q., 2023. Coupling Model of Electromigration and Experimental Verification – Part II: Impact of Thermomigration. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids. Volume 174, May 2023, 105256.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmps.2023.105256

Bio of Dr. Xuejun Fan

Xuejun Fan is a Regents’ Professor of Texas State University System, and a Mary Ann and Lawrence E. Faust Endowed Professor at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas. Dr. Fan is an IEEE Fellow, and an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer. He received the Outstanding Sustained Technical Contribution Award in 2017, and the Exceptional Technical Achievement Award in 2011 from Electronic Packaging Society of IEEE. Dr. Fan is a co-chair of Modeling and Simulation in Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap committee.

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