A Charge Transport Model for SiCOH Dielectric Breakdown in Copper Interconnects and Its Applications

A charge transport model has been applied to predict dielectric breakdown in copper interconnects. The model very accurately predicts the lifetimes of dense and porous dielectrics over long periods. The predictions of the model significantly vary from currently available methodologies, which fail to adequately account for copper charge transport. We apply this charge transport model to simulate the TDDB lifetime activation energy (E_a, eV) in copper interconnects. The model again very accurately predicts the available activation energy data, in actual interconnect test structures, over a wide range of electric fields. The model can be applied to determine the reliable operating voltage for a given operating temperature.