Surface morphological evolution on single crystal films by strong anisotropic drift diffusion under capillary and electromigration forces

Abstract

The morphological evolution of voids at unpassivated surfaces and the sidewalls of single crystal metallic films is investigated via computer simulations by using a mathematical model based on fundamental postulates of irreversible thermodynamics. The effect of drift-diffusion anisotropy on the development of surface morphological scenarios is explored under the action of electromigration (EM) and capillary forces, utilizing numerous combinations of the surface texture and the direction of the applied electric field. Analytical expressions for the interconnect catastrophic failure time due to the EM-induced transgranular wedge-shaped voids, the propagation velocity of surface solitary waves, and the incubation time of the regenerative oscillatory surface waves are deduced under the severe instability regimes, by inverse normalization procedures applied to the outputs of the extensive computer simulation experiments.