Electromigration (EM) is the mass transport of a metal due to the momentum transfer between conducting electrons and diffusing metal of the wire. Electrons flow through wires on a chip and collide with metal atoms producing a force on the atoms that causes the wires to break
over the chips lifetime. Current thin film interconnects contain small grains with many grain boundaries that act as conduits for rapid diffusion. This combination of high current density and fast diffusion at low temperatures was disastrous for circuit reliability. The previous solutions for electromigration problems were to increase the width of the wire. This type of fix is no longer feasible with the trend for smaller and smaller circuitry. Electromigration will require more innovative technologies and research. The trend for smaller circuitry and methods for minimizing
electromigration are examined. This paper will show the progress of the current electromigration investigation. It will include a brief description of the studied device and all the work done before, during and after testing the Au electromigration structures. It will also cover a small portion of an
oxidation study in Cu conductors due to Joule's heating.