Reliability modeling of metal interconnects with time-dependent electrical and thermal stress

A reliability model for electromigration-induced failure in metal interconnects under time-dependent stress is introduced. In contrast to existing reliability models that are based upon the assumption that stress is constant throughout the useful life of a system, this model includes provisions for the more realistic situation where both thermal stress and current stress are time-dependent. A single parameter which can be represented as a real number is used to incorporate the total effects of the stress history making this approach applicable for dynamic power/thermal management algorithms.