Interconnect processes

In chips using mechanically weak low-k films, what is the problem called in which stress during packaging cracks or delaminates the films?

  1. AQuantization error
  2. BChip-package interaction (CPI) problems
  3. CShort-channel effects
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Answer: B. Chip-package interaction (CPI) problems

Low-k films, being porous or otherwise weak, can crack or delaminate in the wiring layers when stress from solder bump bonding, resin encapsulation or temperature changes is applied to the chip. This is called a chip-package interaction (CPI) problem and is addressed through structural design and material selection.

  • A. Quantization error is an AD conversion error.
  • B. Correct. It is wiring-layer failure from packaging stress.
  • C. Short-channel effects are a transistor characteristic problem.
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More Interconnect processes questions

  1. What film is commonly placed on top of Cu wiring to act both as a diffusion barrier toward the dielectric and as an etch stop?
  2. In electromigration testing, wires shorter than a certain length show greatly extended lifetimes, with almost no degradation. What is this phenomenon called?
  3. When a wire becomes narrower than its grains so that grain boundaries line up across the wire, what is this structure called, and how does it affect electromigration?
  4. When high-frequency signals flow in a wire, what is the phenomenon called in which current concentrates near the conductor surface and the effective resistance rises?
  5. What is the design practice called in which active devices and wiring are placed directly beneath the bond pads used for wire bonding and the like?