electromigration


electromigration

[i¦lek·trō·mī′grā·shən] (analytical chemistry) A process used to separate isotopes or ionic species by the differences in their ionic mobilities in an electric field. (physical chemistry) The movement of ions under the influence of an electrical potential difference.

electromigration

(electronics)Mass transport due to momentum exchange betweenconducting electrons and diffusing metal atoms.Electromigration causes progressive damage to the metalconductors in an integrated circuit. It is characteristicof metals at very high current density and temperatures of100C or more.

The term was coined by Professor Hilbert Huntington in thelate 1950s because he didn't like the German use of the word"electrotransport".

Mass transoport occurs via the Einstein relation J=DFC/kTwhere F is the driving force for the transoport. Forelectromigraiton F is z*epj and z* is an electromigrationparameter relating the momentum exchange and z is the chargeof the "diffusing" species.