Stress generation by electromigration

Abstract

Stresses in aluminum thin films on TiN were studied in situ by transmission x-ray topography. Stress gradients were seen to build up in thin aluminum films during passage of electrical currents. The stresses are more compressive in the anode regions. These stress gradients seem to be a concomitant of the backflow responsible for the reported threshold in electromigration, and can probably be correlated quantitatively with it.