A Detailed Failure Analysis Examination of the Effect of Thermal Cycling on Cu TSV Reliability

In this paper, the reliability of through-silicon via (TSV) daisy chains under thermal cycling conditions was examined. The electrical resistance of TSV daisy chains was found to increase with the number of thermal cycles, due to thermally induced damage leading to the formation and growth of defects. The contributions of each identified damage type to the change in the electrical resistance of the TSV chain were evaluated by electrical modeling. Thermo-mechanical modeling showed a good correlation between the observed damage locations and the simulated stress-concentration regions of the TSV.

I. Introduction

3-D stacking of chips using through-silicon via (TSV) has become the preferred technology for achieving chip miniaturization and increased functionality [1]. This is due to its short wiring length and reduced resistance and capacitance (RC) delays, thereby improving chip performance.