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Electromigration in stressed thin films

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

Abstract

Multilayered thin-film circuits in microelectronic devices are confined in dielectrics for insulation between layers. The confinement produces mechanical stress in the circuit. During operation, the stress can enhance or retard electromigration. This interaction has been analyzed using thermodynamics of irreversible processes and the result applied to short-stripe electromigration experiments. It is shown that the calculated critical length of Al stripes, below which no electromigration damage occurs, agrees well with observation. The critical length is temperature insensitive and allows the effective electromigration-charge number to be determined independently, uncoupled to the diffusivity. In the analysis, a simple expression is given for calculating the effective electromigration-charge number of nearly-free-electron metals on the basis of the ballistic model of scattering. © 1992 The American Physical Society.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1409-1413
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume45
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1992
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

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