Analysis of Electromigration Void Nucleation Failure Time in Open Copper TSVs

Through silicon vias (TSVs) are innovative interconnects which provide wider functionality and higher performance per unit area in three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuits. The reliability of TSVs in integrated circuits constitutes an important issue in microelectronics. One of the most relevant degradation mechanisms in interconnects is electromigration (EM). Therefore, the prediction of the EM failure behavior is a crucial necessity. Traditionally, Black's equation has been used from the early times of EM investigations for the estimation of the time to failure (TTF) for a wide spectrum of different interconnects. In this work we investigate the applicability of Black's equation for the estimation of the EM failure time in open copper TSV technologies. The EM void nucleation model has been solved by numerical calculations. Simulations have been carried out for different current densities. The results are in good agreement with Black's equation.