| Abstract Scope |
As the continuous downscaling of semiconductor integrated circuits progresses, Cu interconnect materials face increasing resistivity and current density, exacerbating electromigration (EM) issues and reducing reliability. Ru has emerged as a promising alternative for next-generation interconnect materials due to its low size effect, high cohesion, and high melting point, which confer excellent EM resistance, especially at sub-10nm scales.
This study proposes an innovative approach to enhance the performance of semiconductor interconnects by utilizing Ru-based alloys with up to 4% solute additions. By exploiting the interaction between misfit energy and kinetic solute drag, we aim to increase grain size and employ grain boundary pinning to effectively prevent electromigration. This mechanism is intended to reduce the resistivity of Ru-based alloys while simultaneously improving EM resistance.
This research aims to redefine the role of pure Ru and Ru-based alloys as semiconductor interconnect materials, contributing to the high-performance semiconductor industry as replacements for Cu. |