Copper-Based Metallization in ULSI Structures: Part II: Is Cu Ahead of Its Time as an On-Chip Interconnect Material?

The demand for manufacturing integrated circuit (IC) devices such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM) and logic devices with high circuit speed, high packing density and low power dissipation requires the downward scaling of feature sizes in ultralarge-scale integration (ULSI) structures. When chip size becomes smaller, the propagation delay time in a device is reduced. However, the importance of on-chip interconnect RC (resistance capacitance) delay to chip performance, reliability, and processing cost is increasing dramatically. When interconnect feature size decreases and clock frequencies increase, RC time delays become the major limitation in achieving high circuit speeds. The miniaturization of interconnect feature size also severely penalizes the overall performance of the interconnect, such as increasing interconnect resistance and interconnect current densities, which lead to reliability concerns due to electromigration. Lower resistance metal and lower dielectric materials are being considered to replace current Al and SiO2 interconnect materials. Innovative efforts in circuit design, process development, and the implementation of new materials can provide solutions. This issue of the MRS Bulletin focuses on the industrial viewpoint of copper interconnects. (A previous issue of the MRS Bulletin, June 1993, addressed university research approaches to copper metallization.) Articles in this issue, from six major semiconductor companies—IBM, Motorola, AT&T Bell Laboratories, SEMATECH/National Semiconductor, NTT, and Fujitsu—provide a real-world viewpoint of the challenges faced when replacing aluminum with copper. The articles published in both issues also contain a comprehensive list of references (more than 300) to articles, patents, and device applications related to copper metallization for ULSI applications.