Advanced materials for future interconnections of the future need and strategy (invited lecture)

Semiconductor electronics are driven by the continued miniaturization of devices and circuits leading to enhanced performance and lower cost per bit. Minimum feature sizes of less than or equal to 0.07 mu m in the year 2007-2010 time frame are predicted with devices operating in gigahertz range. This trend has placed stringent demands on metal-interconnection schemes, which if not met will stymie the performance of the circuits. This paper will review the needs, the cause, and possible materials solutions to meet the challenges. As it appears, conventional materials, even the new materials for electronics interconnections, may not meet these challenges. New strategies will be discussed including certain paradigm shifts in our thinking of using high performance devices/circuits.