2 without any barrier layer. NiAl was indicated to exhibit superior TDDB reliability in
comparison to Cu/TaN in the time-to-failure (4200 s versus 240 s, at 4 MV/cm at 200° C) and
in the breakdown activation energy under 4 MV/cm (1.17 eV versus 0.87 eV). Moreover, NiAl
was found to form an atomically thin and self-limiting Al oxide layer at the NiAl/SiO 2
interface, and this Al oxide layer, together with the large cohesive energy of NiAl, was …