This program aims to develop the metrology to enable quantitative assessment of performance limiting reliability issues, and to describe the physics of failure related to new materials, processes, and integration schemes for emerging integrated systems that could allow extremely high energy efficient information processing. The new functionality requirements of emerging information processing paradigms drive the development of novel devices, which in turn requires new materials and integration schemes (e.g., high mobility materials in three-dimensional integrated systems (3D-IC)). The scope of the program includes, but not limited to atomistic understanding of the intrinsic properties of emerging materials and their applications in the interconnect of advanced electronics (e.g., 3-D, heterogenous- and printed electronics). The metrology tools and techniques that we are developing leverage broadband dielectric spectroscopic evaluation of accelerated thermo-mechanical and other stress aging of materials and integrated systems.
The Emerging Integrated Systems Metrology program supports measurements for advanced manufacturing and secure nano-manufacturing, novel devices and electronic materials. Specifically, the program aims to develop the metrology required to enable a quantitative assessment and physical understanding of performance limiting reliability issues in emerging electronic devices from the perspectives of new materials, processes, and integration schemes to enable physics of failure (PoF) approaches to reliability assessments. The ultimate sizes and functionality of the emerging devices will be defined by the fundamental and engineering limits such as heat dissipation, carrier mobility and fault tolerance thresholds. At present, it is unclear which are the best measurement methods needed to evaluate the nanometer-scale features of such devices and how the fundamental limits will affect the required metrology. The metrology being developed in this program will allow new functionalities to support emerging information processing paradigms drive the development of novel devices, which in turn requires new materials and integration schemes (e.g., high mobility materials in three-dimensional integrated systems (3D-IC)). The ultimate output of this program will be as an enabling support for “designed for reliability” approaches in nano-manufacturing of advanced integrated systems. We collaborate extensively with both internal and external entities, such as semiconductor industry consortia, universities and other research institutions to use direct experimental measurements and inferred root causes of failure to inform modeling and simulation analyses, to address various reliability and failure mechanisms in electronic devices.
Our competencies include, but not limited to, spectroscopy (optical, microwave, and X-ray micro-diffraction, etc.), electrochemistry, as well as semiconductor process integration knowledge.
The projects within this program include the characterization and understanding of the entire interconnect system (i.e., the wiring and the associated insulating dielectric layers) and packaging of such electronic devices. The developed metrology and documentary standards we develop will aid advanced manufacturing, heterogeneous integration, security and commercialization of advanced complex integrated systems. Towards this end, the following are some of the current projects within the program:
2019
2018
2017