Synopsis of Multiphysics Deep Sub-Micron Failure Rate Modeling Technique for CFR and EOL Prediction

The current HTOL accelerated reliability test is flawed in assuming one dominant failure mechanism accelerated by high temperature and high voltage. However, decreasing device size, new materials, and design for reliability methods have led to a competing failure mechanism situation with no single mechanism being reliably dominant. The M- TOL testing method developed by J. Bernstein is included in the M-STORM methodology (Multi-phySics mulTi-stressOrs predictive Reliability Model) to assess the impact of each failure mechanism and model the device's performance under any set of stress conditions. This testing procedure gives a broad description of the reliability from sub-zero to high temperatures. In addition M-STORM takes into account the multiple stresses as described by the B.A.Z. model (Boltzmann-Arrhenius-Zurkhov) which is derived from the Arrhenius law supported by the Transition State theory. The method is scale-able to any device with any number of stressors and failure mechanisms and does not require intrusive measurements. More accuracy in M- TOL means the impact of a device's working conditions on its life can be understood with confidence. The process flow of M-STORM is described for an FPGA and the results of completed trials on 45nm, 28nm and 20nm are displayed.