Stress Induced Phenomena in Metallization : 5th International Workshop Stuttgart, Germany, June 23-25, 1999

The performance of computer chips has been improved by reducing the size of all components.

With this continuing trend towards miniaturization in microelectronic devices, mechanical stresses have become a major reliability concern for the so-called back-end metallization, i.e., the wiring of a microchip made of Al and Cu alloy thin films.

The mechanical stresses originate from film deposition, thermal mismatch or electromigration and may cause damage and ultimate failure of devices.

This workshop provided a forum for in-depth discussions of fundamental aspects, such as thin film plasticity, as well as reliability issues related to these stress-induced phenomena.