Modeling of the breakdown mechanisms for porous copper/low-k process flows

The lifetime of porous low-k dielectrics has been observed to degrade as a function of porosity. This paper demonstrates that pores disturb the electric field within a dielectric through finite element simulation. The disturbance of electric field extends beyond the pore itself. A model of charge transport has been developed to demonstrate the sensitivity of leakage currents in a dielectric to porosity.