The inexorable drive for increased integrated circuit functionality and performance places growing demands on the metal and dielectric thin films used in fabricating these circuits, as well as spurring demand for new materials applications and processes. This book directly addresses issues of widespread concern in the microelectronics industry - smaller feature sizes, new materials and new applications that challenge the reliability of new technologies. While the book continues the focus on issues related to interconnect reliability, such as electromigration and stress, particular emphasis is placed on the effects of microstructure. An underlying theme is understanding the importance of interactions among different materials and associated interfaces comprising a single structure with dimensions near or below the micrometer scale. Topics include: adhesion and fracture; gate oxide growth and oxide interfaces; surface preparation and gate oxide reliability; oxide degradation and defects; micro-structure, texture and reliability; novel measurement techniques; interconnect performance and reliability modeling; electromigration and interconnect reliability and stress and stress relaxation.

The scaling of device dimensions with a simultaneous increase in functional density has imposed tremendous challenges for materials, technology, integration and reliability of interconnects. To meet requirements of the ITRS roadmap, new materials are being introduced at a faster pace in all functions of multilevel interconnects. The issues addressed in this book cannot be dispelled as simply selecting a low-k material and integrating it into a copper damascene process. The intricacies of the back end for sub-100nm technology include novel processing of low-k materials, employing pore-sealing techniques and capping layers, introducing advanced dielectric and diffusion barriers, and developing novel integration schemes. This is in addition to concerns of performance, yield, and reliability appropriate to nanoscaled interconnects. Although many challenges continue to impede progress along the ITRS roadmap, the contributions in this book confront them head-on. It provides a scientific understanding of the issues and stimulate new approaches to advanced multilevel interconnects.

The 2nd volume of 'Advances in Microelectronics: Reviews' Book Series is written by 57 contributors from academy and industry from 11 countries (Bulgaria, Hungary, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Ukraine and USA). The book contains 13 chapters from different areas of microelectronics: MEMS, materials characterization, and various microelectronic devices. With unique combination of information in each volume, the Book Series will be of value for scientists and engineers in industry and at universities. Each of chapter is ending by well selected list of references with books, journals, conference proceedings and web sites. This book ensures that readers will stay at the cutting edge of the field and get the right and effective start point and road map for the further researches and developments.