RUI: Formulation for Coupled Composition-Thermoelectromechanics in Polycrystalline Thin Film Structures Lori C. Bassman
The thin film metal lines that comprise microelectronic interconnects experience large variations in thermal conditions. During fabrication, processing steps at different temperatures result in significant thermal stresses, and under operating conditions the heat generated through Joule heating subjects the lines to elevated temperatures. The focus of this project is to incorporate the effects of spatially varying temperature, along with electrical conduction, into a lattice-level model for the coupled composition and mechanics of thin film polycrystalline materials. The ability to solve coupled composition, mechanics, electrical, and thermal problems on a general polycrystalline domain will provide opportunities for greater understanding of the physical phenomena occurring in ever-smaller interconnect structures. It also will enhance general capability to study these phenomena in a variety of crystalline materials relevant to the microelectronics industry. All facets of this project, including expansion of the formulation, implementation in a finite element code using specialized numerical methods, and validation of the model with experimental studies from the literature, are to be completed with substantial participation of undergraduate students at Harvey Mudd College.
