Electromigration is the mass transport of material in a conductor induced primarily by high current densities. Device miniaturization has increased the current density found in interconnects and as a result electromigration has been of great interest in the semiconductor industry as it relates to device reliability.

Here at the University of Rhode Island we have studied this failure mechanism through a collaboration with On Semiconductor Corporation. Electrical measurements of interconnect resistance under accelerated test conditions allows for a systematic study of electromigration based on a number of properties such as processing method, linewidth, interconnect composition, and testing conditions. Our methods of research include electrical measurements, optical microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) analysis,atomic force microscopy (AFM), and theoretical modeling.


An AFM image of an interconnect before and after current stressing

Our research team


URI Sensor and Surface Technology Poster Presentation (4/01)



Research supported by the National Science Foundation (grant #ECS-9975893), On Semiconductor Corp., and the URI SST Partnership.