Electromigration

Electromigration is a microscopic phenomenon involving electric field-induced diffusion which is very relevant to damage in interconnections. A common method for monitoring interconnection degradation is through electrical resistance measurements which requires direct electrical contact. It is desirable to develop non-contact methods to monitor electromigration damage formation. In this thesis we propose a novel Optical Microscopy Imaging Method (OMIM) and we provide a theoretical description and experimental results. OMIM not only pro­vides a new method for studying electromigration but also provides a useful method for studying other micro-devices and materials in a non-contact mode.