Geometry and boundary conditions in the Das-Peierls electromigration theorem

Abstract

In a set of closely related papers, one by Das and Peierls, the other by this author, identical expressions were derived for the driving force in electromigration. Two later papers, one by Sham, the other by Turban, Nozières and Gerl, cite the same expression. It is shown that the apparent agreement by Turban, Nozières, and Gerl is not a result of real agreement about the detailed physics of the process. The argument given by Sham has some ambiguity about geometry and boundary conditions, but is closer to that of the two earlier papers. © 1977 The American Physical Society.