ELECTROMIGRATION INDUCED HILLOCK DYNAMICS ON THE INTERCONNECT SURFACE

Six Fold Crystal Symmetry, {111} Planes in FCC


The edge-hillock transforms into a negative kink-shape wave by lifting up the leeward side, when the tilt angle becomes 30°. This negative kink-wave drifts towards the cathode end with increasing intensity without showing any change in its form. At high electron wind intensities such as 50 χ≥ , the multiplication takes place on the windward side. The overall picture looks like a chain of sawtooth waves shifting with uniform speed towards the cathode edge. This process may continue till the lower edge of the preceding wave touches the opposite side of the interconnect line, and breaking the electrical circuit.