electromigration

electronics Mass transport due to momentum exchange between

conducting electrons and diffusing metal atoms.

Electromigration causes progressive damage to the metal

conductors in an integrated circuit. It is characteristic

of metals at very high current density and temperatures of

100C or more.

The term was coined by Professor Hilbert Huntington in the

late 1950s because he didn't like the German use of the word

"electrotransport".

Mass transoport occurs via the Einstein relation J=DFC/kT

where F is the driving force for the transoport. For

electromigraiton F is z*epj and z* is an electromigration

parameter relating the momentum exchange and z is the charge

of the "diffusing" species.

(1999-02-25)