Prediction of early failure due to non-visual defect on time-dependent dielectric breakdown of low-k dielectrics: Experimental verification of a yield-reliability model

A novel method for the prediction of early failure (EF) due to a non-visual defect is proposed for the time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) of low-k dielectrics. The yield-reliability relation model is modified to evaluate the EFs. The effectiveness of the novel method is experimentally confirmed by using a 65 nm technology node. A bimodal lifetime distribution is used to evaluate the lifetime distribution. The probability of EF can be estimated based on the basis of the results and the defect density of each wafer.