Electronic Thin-Film Reliability

Thin films are widely used in the electronic device industry. As the trend for miniaturization of electronic devices moves into the nanoscale domain, the reliability of thin films becomes an increasing concern. Building on the author's previous book, Electronic Thin Film Science by Tu, Mayer and Feldman, and based on a graduate course at UCLA given by the author, this new book focuses on reliability science and the processing of thin films. Early chapters address fundamental topics in thin film processes and reliability, including deposition, surface energy and atomic diffusion, before moving onto systematically explain irreversible processes in interconnect and packaging technologies. Describing electromigration, thermomigration and stress migration, with a closing chapter dedicated to failure analysis, the reader will come away with a complete theoretical and practical understanding of electronic thin film reliability. Kept mathematically simple, with real-world examples, this book is ideal for graduate students, researchers and practitioners.

1. Thin film applications to microelectronic technology; 2. Thin film deposition; 3. Surface energy in thin films; 4. Atomic diffusion in crystalline solids; 5. Applications of diffusion equation; 6. Elastic stress and strain in thin films; 7. Surface kinetic processes on thin films; 8. Interdiffusion and reaction in thin films; 9. Grain boundary diffusion; 10. Irreversible processes in interconnect and packaging technology; 11. Electromigration in metals; 12. Electromigration induced failure in Al and Cu interconnects; 13. Thermomigration; 14. Stress migration in thin films; 15. Reliability science and analysis; Appendices: A. A brief review of thermodynamic functions; B. Defect concentration in solids; C. Step-by-step derivation of Huntington's electron wind force; D. Elastic constants tables and conversions; E. Terrace size distribution in Si MBE; F. Interdiffusion coefficient; G. Units, tables of conversions, period table.

King-Ning Tu is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles. Since receiving his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University in 1968, he has gained 25 years' experience at IBM T. J. Watson Research Center as a Research Staff Member in the Physical Science Department. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, The Metallurgical Society (TMS), and an Overseas Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge University. Professor Tu has published over 450 journal papers, authored a book (Solder Joint Technology, 2007) and co-authored a textbook (Electronic Thin Film Science, 1992).