It was recalled that a method for predicting electromigration failure in polycrystalline lines had been proposed which used the atomic flux divergence as the important parameter. Its usefulness had been verified by means of experiments in which various line-shapes were treated under divers operating conditions. The lifetimes and failure sites in a metal line were predicted via numerical simulations of void initiation and growth to give line failure. The simulations had accurately predicted the lifetimes, as well as the failure sites, of the metal lines. However, the metal lines which were treated had had the same grain size. The prediction method for electromigration failure in polycrystalline lines was verified here in more detail by comparing the predicted results for lifetime and failure sites with the results of experiments which had not only used variously shaped lines, but also used lines whose microstructures were different.

Experimental Verification of Prediction Method for Electromigration Failure of Polycrystalline Lines. K.Sasagawa, K.Naito, H.Kimura, M.Saka, H.Abé: Journal of Applied Physics, 2000, 87[6], 2785-91