Progress in Copper: A Look Ahead

摘要

Copper has many benefits when compared with aluminum: It has better conductance (lower resistance), which means lines can be smaller and packed more tightly, yet still carry the same current. This translates into fewer levels of metal and lower production costs. Lower resistance also leads to faster speed. Also, copper has better resistance to electromigration, leading to improved reliability. Perhaps best of all, copper is said to provide better yield than aluminum-based devices of the same design. Over the past five years, many semiconductor companies have moved to take advantage of these benefits, and copper is now in volume production at facilities around the world.