  Resistivity augmentation in nanoscale metal interconnects is a performance
limiting factor in integrated circuits. Here we present calculations of
electron scattering and transmission at the interface between Cu interconnects
and their barrier layers, in this case Ta. We also present a semiclassical
model to predict the technological impact of this scattering and find that a
barrier layer can significantly decrease conductivity, consistent with
previously published measurements.

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics;Materials Science