High-density laser linking of metal interconnect

Author

Bernstein, Joseph B. ; Ventura, Thomas M. ; Radomski, Aaron T.

Author_Institution

Lincoln Lab., MIT, Lexington, MA, USA

Volume

17

Issue

4

fYear

1994

fDate

12/1/1994 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

590

Lastpage

593

Abstract

Laser programmed inter-level metal connections have been developed as a means to achieve high-density linking for customization in programmable gate arrays and for additive redundancy in restructurable integrated circuits. This work reports on the linking of 4 μm×4 μm crossings of standard two-level metal interconnect lines and subsequent microstructural analyses aimed at understanding the mechanism of link formation. The links were formed by focusing a laser on metal 1 through an annular region of metal 2. The mechanism of link formation appears to be a physical connection made by a fracture of the dielectric layer due to the stress of thermal expansion of the metallization with molten metal 2 filling the crack

Keywords

integrated circuit interconnections; integrated circuit metallisation; laser materials processing; thermal expansion; thermal stress cracking; thermal stresses; additive redundancy; customization; dielectric layer fracture; high-density laser linking; laser programmed inter-level connections; link formation; metal interconnect; microstructural analyses; programmable gate arrays; restructurable integrated circuits; stress; thermal expansion; CMOS process; CMOS technology; Dielectrics; Integrated circuit interconnections; Joining processes; Laser beam cutting; Laser theory; Optical arrays; Programmable logic arrays; Semiconductor laser arrays;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology, Part A, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1070-9886

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/95.335046

Filename

335046