Incorporating the role of stress on electromigration in power grids with via arrays

Modern power grids use via arrays to connect wires across metal layers. These arrays are susceptible to electromigration (EM), which creates voids under the vias, potentially causing circuit malfunction. We combine the effect of via redundancy with models that characterize the effect of via array geometry on thermomechanical stress, and determine how the choice of via arrays can affect EM-induced failure in a power grid based on IR-drop threshold based failure criteria.