electromigration

    Mass transport due to momentum exchange between
   conducting electrons and diffusing metal atoms.
   Electromigration causes progressive damage to the metal
   conductors in an integrated circuit.  It is characteristic
   of metals at very high current density and temperatures of
   100C or more.

   The term was coined by Professor Hilbert Huntington in the
   late 1950s because he didn't like the German use of the word
   "electrotransport".

   Mass transoport occurs via the Einstein relation J=DFC/kT
   where F is the driving force for the transoport.  For
   electromigraiton F is z*epj and z* is an electromigration
   parameter relating the momentum exchange and z is the charge
   of the "diffusing" species.

   (1999-02-25)