Podcasts · The Hardware Podcast with Fexingo: Chips, Devices, and Electronics Engineering Conversations
How Chipmakers Are Taming Electromigration at Three Nanometers
· 13 min · S2 E65
Episode How Chipmakers Are Taming Electromigration at Three Nanometers
In this episode of The Hardware Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how advanced chip designers are tackling electromigration — the slow migration of metal atoms that can cause chip failure — at the three-nanometer node. They dive into the physics behind copper interconnects, why cobalt and ruthenium are replacing copper in critical layers, and how TSMC and Intel are using barrier engineering and novel liner materials to extend chip lifespan. Specific data includes the 10x improvement in electromigration resistance achieved with cobalt liners at 2nm dimensions. The discussion also touches on the hidden role of grain boundaries and the trade-off between performance and reliability. A must-listen for anyone curious about the unsung materials science behind modern processors.
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Transcript
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