Advances in the semiconductor technology have enabled steady,
exponential im- provement in the performance of integrated circuits.
Miniaturization allows the integration of a larger number of transistors
with enhanced switching speed. Novel transistor structures and
passivation materials diminish circuit delay by minimizing parasitic
electrical capacitance. These advances, however, pose several challenges
for the thermal engineering of integrated circuits. The low thermal
conductivities of passivation layers result in large temperature rises
and temperature gradient magni- tudes, which degrade electrical
characteristics of transistors and reduce lifetimes of interconnects. As
dimensions of transistors and interconnects decrease, the result- ing
changes in current density and thermal capacitance make these elements
more susceptible to failure during brief electrical overstress. This
work develops a set of high-resolution measurement techniques which de-
termine temperature fields in transistors and interconnects, as well as
the thermal properties of their constituent films. At the heart of these
techniques is the thermore- flectance thermometry method, which is based
on the temperature dependence of the reflectance of metals. Spatial
resolution near 300 nm and temporal resolution near IOns are
demonstrated by capturing transient temperature distributions in
intercon- nects and silicon-on-insulator (SOl) high-voltage transistors.
Analyses of transient temperature data obtained from interconnect
structures yield thermal conductivities and volumetric heat capacities
of thin films.
