A phase field model for failure in interconnect lines due to coupled diffusion mechanisms

We describe a diffuse interface, or phase field model for simulating electromigration and stress-induced void evolution and growth in interconnect lines. Microstructural evolution is tracked by defining an order parameter, which takes on distinct uniform values within solid material and voids, and varying rapidly from one to the other over narrow interfacial layers associated with the void surfaces. The order parameter is governed by a form of the Cahn-Hilliard equation. An asymptotic analysis demonstrates that the zero contour of order parameter tracks the motion of a void evolving by coupled surface and lattice diffusion, driven by stress, electron wind and vacancy concentration gradients. Efficient finite element schemes are described to solve the modified Cahn-Hilliard equation, as well as the equations associated with the accompanying mechanical, electrical and bulk diffusion problems. The accuracy and convergence of the numerical scheme is investigated by comparing results to known analytical solutions. The method is applied to solve various problems involving void growth and evolution in representative interconnect geometries.     

A theoretical analysis of the electromigration-induced void morphological evolution under high current density

In this work,analysis of electromigration-induced void morphological evolution in solder interconnects is per-formed based on mass diffusion theory. The analysis is conducted for three typical experimentally observed void shapes: circular, ellipse, and cardioid. Void morphological evolution is governed by the competition between the electric field and surface capillary force.In the developed model,both the electric field and capillary force on the void's surface are solved analytically.Based on the mass conversation princi-ple,the normal velocity on the void surface during diffusion is obtained. The void morphological evolution behavior is investigated, and a physical model is developed to predict void collapse to a crack or to split into sub-voids under elec-tric current.It is noted that when the electric current is being applied from the horizontal direction, a circular void may either move stably along the electric current direction or col-lapse to a finger shape,depending on the relative magnitude of the electric current and surface capillary force.However, the elliptical-shaped void will elongate along the electric cur-rent direction and finally collapse to the finger shape.On the other hand,the cardioid-shaped void could bifurcate into two sub-voids when the electric current reaches a critical value. The theoretical predictions agree well with the experimental observations.     

Stability and shape evolution of voids and channels due to surface misfit

This paper investigates the stability and shape evolution of voids and channels under the combined effects of surface misfit, surface energy and surface diffusion. A dynamic model that incorporates the competition among these energetic forces is developed. Our approach integrates a novel local semi-implicit level set method to capture interface movement and an iterative spectral method to calculate the elastic field, which allows simulating very large shape evolution such as void breakup or coalescence in a wide range of materials systems. Our study reveals the important effect of surface misfit and remarkably rich dynamics during shape evolution. It is shown that surface misfit can lead to instabilities of voids, break-up of channels and ordering of voids.     

Void growth in power-law creeping solids: Effect of surface diffusion and surface energy

This paper addresses the growth of a void in a nonlinearly creeping material in the presence of the void-surface energy effect and void-surface diffusion driven by surface curvature gradients. Large strain finite element analysis of the coupled problem indicates that microstructural variables (porosity and void aspect ratio), as well as macroscopic deformation rates are strongly affected by the relative strength of the void-surface energy effect and the void-surface diffusion process vis-a-vis the rate of creep deformation in the bulk of the solid. The phenomenon is characterized by two-dimensionless groups, one measuring the strength of the surface diffusion process with respect to the nonlinear creep deformation in the interior of the solid, and the other the magnitude of the surface energy of the void in relation to the applied load and the size of the void. The computations reveal a rich variety of solutions that reflect a wide range of external load, material, and geometric parameters. Classical void growth studies that ignore both surface diffusion and surface energy effects are shown to recover only one case of this family of solutions. The computations also serve to quantitatively evaluate recent constitutive theories for porous nonlinear materials that account for continuously evolving microstructure, but do not include surface diffusion or surface energy effects.     

多物理场下FCBGA焊点电迁移失效预测的数值模拟研究

随着微电子封装技术的快速发展, 焊点的电迁移失效问题日益受到关注. 基于有限元法并结合子模型技术对倒装芯片球栅阵列封装(flip chip ball grid array, FCBGA)进行电-热-结构多物理场耦合分析, 详细介绍了封装模型的简化处理方法, 重点分析了易失效关键焊点的电流密度分布、温度分布和应力分布, 发现电子流入口处易产生电流拥挤效应, 而整个焊点的温度梯度较小. 基于综合考虑“电子风力”、温度梯度、应力梯度和原子密度梯度四种电迁移驱动机制的原子密度积分法, 并结合空洞形成/扩散准则及失效判据, 分析FCBGA焊点在不同网格密度下的电迁移空洞演化过程, 发现原子密度积分算法稳定, 不依赖网格密度. 采用原子密度积分法模拟真实 工况下FCBGA关键焊点电迁移空洞形成位置和失效寿命, 重点研究了焊点材料和铜金属层结构对电迁移失效的影响. 结果表明, 电迁移失效寿命随激活能的增加呈指数级增加, 因此Sn3.5Ag焊点的电迁移失效寿命约为63Sn37Pb的2.5倍, 有效电荷数对电迁移寿命也有一定的影响;铜金属层结构的调整会改变电流的流向和焊点的应力分布, 进而影响焊点的电迁移失效寿命.      

Electromigration induced strain field simulations for nanoelectronics lead-free solder joints

Electromigration is a major road block on the way to realization of nanoelectronics. Determination of plastic deformation under high current density is critical for prediction of electromigration failure. A new displacement–diffusion coupled model is proposed and implemented using finite element method. The model takes into account viscoplastic behavior of solder alloys, as a result, vacancy concentration evolution and electromigration process are accurately simulated. Finite element simulations were performed for lead-free solder joints under high current density and compared with experimental moiré interferometry measurements. The comparison validates the model.     

A thermodynamic model for electrical current induced damage

Electromigration-induced damage, which is in principal an irreversible mass diffusion under high current density, has been a concern for VLSI design for a long time. Miniaturization of electronic device sizes down to nano-scale will make electromigration a concern for all conducting components. This paper uses thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and mass transport (diffusion) principals to propose a model for electromigration process and a damage evolution model to quantify the degradation in microelectronics (and micro electromechanical system) solder joints subjected to high current densities. Entropy production in the system is used as a damage metric. The irreversible thermodynamic damage model utilized in this work has previously been successfully applied to thermo-mechanical fatigue of microelectronic solder joints. In this paper we extend this model to electromigration-induced degradation.Electromigration process is modeled by the atomic vacancy flux (mass diffusion) process. The proposed unified model is compared with several existing analytical and empirical models. A comparison of the damage evolution model proposed in here agrees well with empirical models proposed in the literature.     

Interface balance laws,phase growth and nucleation conditions for multiphase solids with inhomogeneous surface stress

In this paper, the thermodynamic configurational force associated with a moving interface is used to derive the conditions for phase growth and nucleation in bodies with multiple diffusing species and arbitrary surface stress at the phase interface. First, the mass, momentum and energy balances are derived on the evolving phase interface. The thermodynamic conditions that result from free energy inequality at the interface are derived leading to the analytical form of the configurational force for bodies subject to mechanical loads, heat and multiple diffusing species. The derived second law condition naturally extends the Eshelby energy–momentum tensor to include species diffusion terms. The above second law restriction is then used to derive the condition for the growth of new phases in a body undergoing finite deformation subject to inhomogeneous as well as anisotropic interface stress, and multiple diffusing species. The growth conditions are derived in both current and reference configurations. The statistical temperature-dependent growth velocity is next derived using the Boltzmann distribution. The derived finite deformation form of growth requirement is simplified to obtain the small deformation diffusive void growth condition. Next, a general, finite deformation, arbitrary surface stress form of phase nucleation condition is derived by considering uncertainty in growth of a small nucleus. The probability of nucleation is shown to naturally depend on a theoretical estimate of critical volumetric energy density, which is directly related to the surface stress. The classical nucleation theory is shown to result from a simplified special case of the general criterion. As an application of the developed theory, the classical Blech electromigration experiment is simulated to estimate the critical energy density corresponding to the onset of electromigration voids at Al–TiN interface.     

Mechanics modeling for deformation of nano-grained metals

The electro-deposition technique is capable of producing nano-grained bulk copper specimens that exhibit superplastic extensibility at room temperature. Metals of such small grain sizes deform by grains squeezing past each other, with little distortion occurring in the grain cores. Accommodation mechanisms such as grain boundary diffusion and grain rotation control the kinetics of the process. A model of a 9-grain cluster is proposed that incorporates both the Ashby-Verrall mechanism and the 30° rotation of closely linked grain pairs. A constitutive relation is derived that relates the creep strain rate linearly to the difference between the applied stress and a threshold stress. The creep rate and the threshold stress predicted by the model are in quantitative agreement with the experimental data.