X-ray microbeam studies of electromigration

The interplay between stress and electromigration has been recognized since I. A. Blech et al. used x-ray topography in 1976 to demonstrate that stress gradients developed during electromigration. Availability of high brightness synchrotron x-ray sources, high stability energy dispersive detectors, high resolution area detectors, and pinholes, capillaries and other optical elements for forming x-ray microbeams, has made possible more quantitative, real time measurements of strains and composition changes which develop in polycrystalline metal conductor lines during electromigration. This paper describes advances made in this area, implications of results which have been obtained, and prospects for further progress. © 1999 Materials Research Society.