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The 2000 Integrated Reliability Workshop (IRW), sponsored by the IEEE Reliability Society and the IEEE Electron Devices Society, will be held at the Stanford Sierra Camp on the shore of Fallen Leaf Lake near South Lake Tahoe, CA from October 23rd to 26th, 2000. This workshop provides a unique forum for open and frank discussions of all areas of reliability research and technology for present and future semiconductor applications.
This year's workshop will feature a keynote address by Daniel J. DiMaria and James H. Stathis of the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, entitled, "Defect Generation and Reliability of Ultra-thin SiO2 at Low Voltage".
The technical portion of the 2000 workshop is being organized by Andreas Martin of Infineon Technologies AG and will focus on six main areas:
Hot topics include Cu interconnects; reliability of deep sub-micron; high speed, high frequency devices; new dielectric systems; and reliability modeling and simulation.
The IRW is quite a bit different from a typical technical conference. From the moment you arrive, after winding slowly back to the south shore of Fallen Leaf Lake, you realize that you are taking part in something special. Attendees stay in cabins without TVs or phones, dress is casual (suits, ties and high heels are shunned), affiliations are downplayed, and meals are taken at the lodge dining room, family-style. Attendees of the workshop are expected to participate actively. You feel yourself drawn into technical discussions from the start. Every aspect of this conference, from the isolated location to the format of the technical program, is designed to get attendees to interact.
Located just a short scenic drive (less than two hours) from Reno, the Stanford Sierra Camp is situated at 6000 ft in the High Sierra on Fallen Leaf Lake. Attendees stay in cabins nestled amid the pines and cedars along the shoreline. All cabins have decks and breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding peaks (don't worry, the cabins also have warm beds and hot showers; phone booths are available in the lodge). This peaceful setting, free from the distractions and annoyances of modern life, presents a terrific opportunity to get to know your colleagues, including internationally renown experts. This is an opportunity not usually available at bigger, more hectic reliability conferences. Instead of watching TV, participants spend their evenings at poster sessions, discussion groups, and special interest groups (SIGs), all with refreshments provided to stimulate discussions.
One unique aspect of this workshop is the opportunity for every attendee to present a poster of their own research, no matter what state it is in. Just arrange for space when you register or bring last-minute results in your briefcase or backpack. Your ideas will be accommodated. This is a great way to share that new project you are working on and to get world-class feedback. The poster presentations are even eligible for a two page write-up in the conference proceedings. The open poster sessions are but one example of the opportunities for interaction that sets the IRW apart from other conferences.
Another distinction of the IRW is the moderated Discussion Groups that are held in the evenings. Organized this year by William Vigrass of Texas Instruments, the Discussion Groups topics are: 1) Single Event Upsets (SEU), 2) WLR Monitoring, 3) Product Qualification / Burn In, 4) Gate Oxide Integrity, 5) Electromigration, and 6) Designing for Reliability. Lively conversation and debate among participants is promised and written summaries will be included in the workshop proceedings.
For those with the stamina, the Discussion Groups are followed by the Special Interest Group meetings or SIGs (as attendees refer to them). The SIGs are composed of small groups of researchers and engineers who often continue their conversations and collaborations even after they leave the workshop. Every attendee has the opportunity to become part of an existing SIG or suggest a new topic and start one of their own. One particularly successful example is the Thin Oxide Integrity SIG which has met for several years and collaborated to produce award winning presentations at other reliability meetings. Be warned, remnants of the SIG discussions sometimes rage on into the wee hours of the morning.
Yet another advantage of attending the IRW is the Tutorial Short Course, presented by world class experts and included at no additional cost. The tutorials review basic topics, as well as the latest developments and are designed to be beneficial both to newcomers and experienced members of the reliability community. Organized this year by Doug Menke of Motorola, the Tutorial Short Course will be broken into three topics: 1) "Integrated Circuit Fabrication Technology and Yield Control," by Ernest Levine, Tom Houghton, and Parth Dave of IBM MicroElectronics, 2) "Ultra-thin Oxide Reliability for ULSI Applications," by Ernest Wu of IBM MicroElectronics, and 3) "Managing Technology Qualification in a Foundry/Fabless Partnership," by Raif Hijab of Cirrus Logic.
Last, but certainly not least, attendees have Wednesday afternoon off to enjoy activities such as hiking (with the annual trek to the top of Mt. Tallac as a favorite goal), volleyball, canoeing, biking, walking, or just conversing by the lake, all in the fresh clean mountain air. This free afternoon is a great way not only to network, but to build long-lasting friendships.
Additional information about the workshop is available on the IRW website at www.irps.org/irw, or by contacting SAR Associates at 301 N. Madison Street, Rome, NY 13440, TEL: 315-339-3968; FAX: 315-336-9134. Note: If you want to take part in this event, please register early as space at the Stanford Sierra Camp is limited to roughly 120 attendees and the workshop has sold out in the past.
On behalf of the 2000 Integrated Reliability Workshop Committee, we look forward to meeting you in Lake Tahoe!
John F. Conley, Jr.
NASA / JPL, California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA