Simulation of Nanostructure Production by Electromigration Considering Specimen's Shape

Al nanowires have been successfully formed utilizing electromigration in the passivated Al thin film specimen. A numerical simulation of the nanostructure production method was recently developed based on the governing parameter for electromigration damage. The results of the simulation were verified through experiment. It was shown that this procedure predicted the nanostructure volume formed during lifetime of the specimen, though the nanostructure formation was influenced by the current density and substrate temperature. In this study, the method is applied to Al specimens with various shapes to devote to the theoretical discussion on the efficient production of nanostructure. It is found that volume of the formed nanostructure depends on shape of the specimen. The shape affects distributions of current density, temperature and atomic density in the specimen, so formation speed, lifetime and consequently nanostructure volume during the lifetime are changed. It is clarified that this simulation method will contribute to seeking the optimum specimen's shape for efficient NS production.