In Situ Observations of Voiding in Metal Lines Under Passivation

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Abstract
Movies showing high voltage scanning electron microscope (HVSEM) in situ observations of void motion in passivated metal lines were produced. By taking pictures of the line when the void morphology changes and combining these images digitally with a technique called morphing, a time-lapse movie is constructed with the minimum amount of stored images. The sequence of still images from which a movie is constructed are shown in this paper. This sequence demonstrates that wedge voids do not cause failure in near-bamboo pure Al lines; rather the void will move until it encounters a grain which it can grow across in a slit-like manner.