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Paul S. Ho

Bio: Paul S. Ho is an academic researcher from University of Texas at Austin. The author has contributed to research in topics: Electromigration & Dielectric. The author has an hindex of 60, co-authored 475 publications receiving 13444 citations. Previous affiliations of Paul S. Ho include National Institute of Standards and Technology & IBM.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
Paul S. Ho1, Thomas Kwok1
TL;DR: In this article, an overview on the current understanding of electromigration in metals is provided. But the discussion is focused on studies in bulk metals and alloys and not on the studies in metallic thin films.
Abstract: This paper provides an overview on the current understanding of electromigration in metals. The discussion is first focused on studies in bulk metals and alloys. This part includes a thermodynamic formulation of electromigration, a kinetic analysis of the atomic processes and a review of the theory. In addition, experimental results in interstitial and substitutional systems are summarised. The second part of the paper reviews the studies in metallic thin films. This emerged as an important area of electromigration studies since the late 1960s when electromigration damage was found to cause failure of conductor lines in integrated circuits. The discussion will review first the basic nature of electromigration in thin films with emphasis on the role of grain boundaries in mass transport and damage formation. Then the materials issues of electromigration will be explored according to the scaling trends in VLSI technology. Finally, the recent results of electromigration in fine lines and device contacts of dimensions in the micrometre range are discussed.

722 citations

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TL;DR: In this article, a review of the general requirements for process integration and material properties of low-k dielectrics are discussed, focusing on the challenge in developing materials with low dielectric constant but strong thermomechanical properties.
Abstract: ▪ Abstract As integrated circuit (IC) dimensions continue to decrease, RC delay, crosstalk noise, and power dissipation of the interconnect structure become limiting factors for ultra-large-scale integration of integrated circuits. Materials with low dielectric constant are being developed to replace silicon dioxide as interlevel dielectrics. In this review, the general requirements for process integration and material properties of low-k dielectrics are first discussed. The discussion is focused on the challenge in developing materials with low dielectric constant but strong thermomechanical properties. This is followed by a description of the material characterization techniques, including several recently developed for porous materials. Finally, the material characteristics of candidate low-k dielectrics will be discussed to illustrate their structure-property relations.

372 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an in-depth overview of the present status and novel developments in the field of plasma processing of low dielectric constant (low-k) materials developed for advanced interconnects in ULSI technology is presented.
Abstract: This paper presents an in-depth overview of the present status and novel developments in the field of plasma processing of low dielectric constant (low-k) materials developed for advanced interconnects in ULSI technology. The paper summarizes the major achievements accomplished during the last 10 years. It includes analysis of advanced experimental techniques that have been used, which are most appropriate for low-k patterning and resist strip, selection of chemistries, patterning strategies, masking materials, analytical techniques, and challenges appearing during the integration. Detailed discussions are devoted to the etch mechanisms of low-k materials and their degradation during the plasma processing. The problem of k-value degradation (plasma damage) is a key issue for the integration, and it is becoming more difficult and challenging as the dielectric constant of low-k materials scales down. Results obtained with new experimental methods, like the small gap technique and multi-beams systems with separated sources of ions, vacuum ultraviolet light, and radicals, are discussed in detail. The methods allowing reduction of plasma damage and restoration of dielectric properties of damaged low-k materials are also discussed.

258 citations

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TL;DR: The study of dual-damascene Cu has demonstrated the importance of statistics in analyzing EM reliability and has shown statistical evidence of bimodal failure behavior consistent with the presence of a weak and strong failure mode.
Abstract: Electromigration studies on Cu interconnects are reviewed. Some history and more recent results are discussed along with a description of the present interpretations of the active mass transport mechanisms involved in Cu electromigration. The issue of the dual-damascene process and its potential effect on EM reliability is described with special focus on the peculiarities of the dual-damascene interconnect architecture compared to more conventional subtractively etched Al-based interconnects. Experiments performed on dual-damascene interconnects that highlight electromigration reliability issues such as early failure, a tentative explanation for via electromigration failure, and the Blech effect, are summarized. Emphasis is placed on an experimental methodology that uses large interconnect ensembles in a multi-link configuration. Such a large scale study of nearly 10000 interconnects has shown statistical evidence of bimodal failure behavior consistent with the presence of a weak and strong failure mode, which have been identified as voiding, respectively, within the via and the trench at the cathode end of an interconnect. A multi-link approach has also demonstrated a length-dependent distribution of failures that yields a (j/spl middot/L)/sub c/ product value of about 9000 A/cm in dual-damascene Cu/oxide interconnections and is consistent with mass transport that is controlled by the presence of extended defects within Cu such as grain boundaries, interfaces, and/or surfaces. The study of dual-damascene Cu has demonstrated the importance of statistics in analyzing EM reliability.

256 citations

Book
15 Jan 1989
TL;DR: A comprehensive review of diffusion phenomena in thin films and microelectronic materials can be found in this paper, where anelastic relaxation and diffusion in thin-layer materials are discussed.
Abstract: A comprehensive review of diffusion phenomena in thin films and microelectronic materials - theory and technology. Contents include: Bulk Solids and Thin Films Anelastic Relaxation and Diffusion in Thin-Layer Materials Diffusion in Artificially Modulated Thin Films Diffusion and Growth in Oxide Films Diffusion Induced Grain Boundary Migration in Thin Films Effects of Ambients on Thin Film Interactions Electromigration in Metallic Thin Films Diffusion Barriers in Semiconductor Contract Metallization Thermal Stability of Lead-Alloy Josephson Junctions Diffusion and Electromigration of Impurities in Lead Solders.

248 citations


Cited by
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28 Jul 2005
TL;DR: PfPMP1)与感染红细胞、树突状组胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用,在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作�ly.
Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1(PfPMP1)与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用,在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员,通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

18,940 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Apr 1988-Nature
TL;DR: In this paper, a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) is presented.
Abstract: Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These

9,929 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the deposition methods, deposition mechanisms, characterisation methods, electronic structure, gap states, defects, doping, luminescence, field emission, mechanical properties and some applications of diamond-like carbon.
Abstract: Diamond-like carbon (DLC) is a metastable form of amorphous carbon with significant sp3 bonding. DLC is a semiconductor with a high mechanical hardness, chemical inertness, and optical transparency. This review will describe the deposition methods, deposition mechanisms, characterisation methods, electronic structure, gap states, defects, doping, luminescence, field emission, mechanical properties and some applications of DLCs. The films have widespread applications as protective coatings in areas, such as magnetic storage disks, optical windows and micro-electromechanical devices (MEMs).

5,400 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of the literature on thermal transport in nanoscale devices can be found in this article, where the authors highlight the recent developments in experiment, theory and computation that have occurred in the past ten years and summarizes the present status of the field.
Abstract: Rapid progress in the synthesis and processing of materials with structure on nanometer length scales has created a demand for greater scientific understanding of thermal transport in nanoscale devices, individual nanostructures, and nanostructured materials. This review emphasizes developments in experiment, theory, and computation that have occurred in the past ten years and summarizes the present status of the field. Interfaces between materials become increasingly important on small length scales. The thermal conductance of many solid–solid interfaces have been studied experimentally but the range of observed interface properties is much smaller than predicted by simple theory. Classical molecular dynamics simulations are emerging as a powerful tool for calculations of thermal conductance and phonon scattering, and may provide for a lively interplay of experiment and theory in the near term. Fundamental issues remain concerning the correct definitions of temperature in nonequilibrium nanoscale systems. Modern Si microelectronics are now firmly in the nanoscale regime—experiments have demonstrated that the close proximity of interfaces and the extremely small volume of heat dissipation strongly modifies thermal transport, thereby aggravating problems of thermal management. Microelectronic devices are too large to yield to atomic-level simulation in the foreseeable future and, therefore, calculations of thermal transport must rely on solutions of the Boltzmann transport equation; microscopic phonon scattering rates needed for predictive models are, even for Si, poorly known. Low-dimensional nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes, are predicted to have novel transport properties; the first quantitative experiments of the thermal conductivity of nanotubes have recently been achieved using microfabricated measurement systems. Nanoscale porosity decreases the permittivity of amorphous dielectrics but porosity also strongly decreases the thermal conductivity. The promise of improved thermoelectric materials and problems of thermal management of optoelectronic devices have stimulated extensive studies of semiconductor superlattices; agreement between experiment and theory is generally poor. Advances in measurement methods, e.g., the 3ω method, time-domain thermoreflectance, sources of coherent phonons, microfabricated test structures, and the scanning thermal microscope, are enabling new capabilities for nanoscale thermal metrology.

2,933 citations