Systems and methods are disclosed that facilitate predicting
electromigration (EM) reliability in semiconductor wafers via decoupling
intrinsic and extrinsic components of EM reliability. Electrical
cross-sections of wafer test lines can be determined and individual
currents can be forced through the test lines to force a constant current
density across a test wafer. An EM reliability test can be performed to
determine a purely intrinsic component of EM reliability. A single
current can then be applied to all test lines and a second EM reliability
test can be performed to determine total EM reliability. Standard
deviations, or sigma, of failure distributions can be derived for each EM
test. Intrinsic sigma can be subtracted from total sigma to yield an
extrinsic sigma associated with process variation in wafer fabrication.
Sigmas can then be utilized to predict EM reliability when process
variations are adjusted, without application of a damaging package-level
EM test.