IEEE International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS)
The 42nd Annual International Reliability
Physics Symposium will be held at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix Civic
Plaza in Phoenix, Arizona from April 25 to April 30, 2004. IRPS
is the principal symposium dealing with the physical mechanisms
that influence the performance or affect the reliability of integrated
circuits and microelectronic devices in the users' environment.
The Symposium has its roots in the early 1960's when a forum for
interchange of information on the physical processes, which caused
electronic components to fail, was established. Sponsorship was
largely from the military, most notably from the U. S. Air Force
Rome Air Development Center. In 1967 sponsorship moved to the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, with the Reliability
Society and the Electron Devices Society agreeing to jointly sponsor
the Symposium.
The conference aims to stimulate progress in these broad areas:
- Reliability Implications of Transistor Scaling
- Modeling, Simulation, and Understanding of Failure Mechanisms and Circuit Reliability
- Correlation of Reliability to the Physical and Electrical Properties of Microelectronic Materials
- Reliability-Driven Circuit Design and Wafer Processing
IRPS affords attendees the opportunity to hear technical presentations on the latest developments in the rapidly changing field of semiconductor/microelectronic reliability in a relaxed professional environment. Scheduled activities also allow time for social contact so that attendees can network with other participants who share common interests.
Technical Program
The conference is a forum for presenting original work that identifies
new microelectronic failure or degradation mechanisms; describes
how fabrication processes influence the susceptibility of products
to particular failure mechanisms; demonstrates new, improved,
or innovative analytical techniques; or demonstrates techniques
to build-in or extend reliability while meeting performance goals,
especially as technologies are scaled.
On the product side, specific areas addressed at the symposium
are Product Reliability and Burn-In, which covers chip-level reliability
issues, burn-in elimination strategies, and correlation between
yield, infant mortality, and burn-in fallout; Non-Volatile Memory,
which addresses unique reliability phenomena and failure mechanisms
in non-volatile memories; Qualification Strategies, which describes
new techniques/test structures/vehicles for product qualification
along with best practices to reduce cost and time to market.
The product sessions will also cover Assembly and Packaging (Cu
and low-K issues, chip scale integration, stress modeling) Failure
Analysis (evidence of new mechanisms, new techniques, case histories),
MEMS (reliability of new structures sensors, and actuators) and
Circuits (soft error upsets, analog circuit reliability issues).
Process issues scheduled to be discussed are Device Dielectrics,
which addresses oxide breakdown mechanisms and models and the
effects of processing on MOS gate reliability; Transistor Reliability,
which covers new hot carrier phenomena, NBTI, material degradation
mechanisms, and impact of alternative gate dielectrics; Interconnects
will include defect and wear out phenomena in Cu and Al systems,
low-K/oxide inter/intra-level reliability, mechanical stress issues,
and joule heating effects. Electrostatic Discharge and Latch-up
will cover novel structures including SOI and bipolar, damage
interpretation, scaling issues, and RF CMOS.
Sessions on Device and Process, which addresses reliability-driven
process interactions, new process related reliability issues,
and Process-Induced Damage, which will describe reliability degradation
associated with damage and early non-destructive in-line detection
of process-induced damage complete the program.
Tutorials/Workshops
IRPS's two day Tutorial Program features two sets of bound notes
from all of the tutorials presented at the symposium. Seasoned
attendees have the opportunity to learn new, challenging areas
of interest during the Advanced Reliability session on Monday,
while new participants can gain familiarity in classic reliability
methodologies during the Reliability Fundamentals session on Sunday.
Past tutorial sessions have covered a wide variety of topics such
as Electro migration, Insulators, Defects, Testing, Noise, Electrostatic
Discharge Damage, Reliability Tools and Modeling, Hot Carriers,
and Surface Mount Technology.
The IRPS Workshops enhance the synergy of the Symposium by affording
the attendees an opportunity to meet in informal groups to discuss
key reliability physics topics with the guidance of experienced
moderators. Some of the workshop topics are directly coupled to
the Tutorial Program. This allows each attendee to learn more
about a particular topic or field of interest in a Tutorial session
during the day on Monday and then exchange ideas with other attendees
having similar interests in an open moderated forum on Wednesday
evening. Workshop topics will deal with electro migration, dielectrics,
hot carriers, and several specialized sessions covering wafer-level
reliability, ESD/Latch-up, and micro-electro-mechanical systems.
Equipment Demonstrations
A unique aspect of the Symposium is the Equipment Demonstration
program held throughout the week. Manufacturers of state-of-the-art
analytical and test equipment are on hand to demonstrate their
products and systems to individuals and small groups. Some demonstrators
will analyze attendees' samples by appointment. Equipment to be
demonstrated includes acoustic imaging, burn-in/device stressing,
computer-aided navigation, confocal laser scanning microscopy,
emission microscopy, and ESD testing. Demonstrations of focused
ion beam and SEM systems, functional/parametric test equipment,
IR imaging/thermal analysis, probing systems (including laser
cutters) reliability simulation tools, and wafer-level reliability
assessment systems are also planned.
Reliability Year In Review
The Reliability Year in Review is a new session added in 2003
that will be offered again in 2004 due to its popularity and innovative
format. Reliability experts in selected fields will offer their
assessment of current and recent publications in their areas of
expertise in a forum that allows for maximum interaction. The
session is slated for Friday morning, April 30, and should again
attract a strong turnout.
Further Information
The 2004 IRPS will be held at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix Civic
Plaza in Phoenix, Arizona from April 25 to April 30, 2004. The
hotel is located adjacent to the Phoenix Civic Plaza where the
technical sessions will take place. Social events currently being
planned are the Monday evening reception in the Equipment Demonstration
area, and the Tuesday evening poster reception. For further 2004
IRPS information, contact: Bernie Pietrucha, IRPS General Chair,
Rowan University, (856) 256-5338, fax (856) 256-5241, email:pietrucha@rowan.edu.
Information is also available on the IRPS Web Page at: http://www.irps.org/
Bernie Pietrucha
General Chair
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ, USA