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Keywords:

Science & Technology, Technology, Physical Sciences, Engineering, Electrical & Electronic, Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Physics, Applied, Engineering, Science & Technology - Other Topics, Physics, LINES, 0906 Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Applied Physics, 4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware

Abstract:

The early stages of electromigration (EM) have been studied under realistic, i.e. low current densities (j<0.5 MA/cm2) using a high resolution resistance measurement technique. Low current densities initiate EM and discard other masking mechanisms allowing an accurate observation of the EM kinetics, revealing fundamental features such as incubation time and subsequent linear resistance increase, important for modelling and life time extrapolation purposes. Current and temperature dependences are investigated and compared with the results obtained with high current density tests. For the first time it is shown that the processes responsible for the incubation time are reversible in nature. © 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.