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Magnetic Force Microscopy Signatures of Defects in Current-carrying Lines

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

Ruchirej Yongsunthon ,
Ellen D. Williams ,
Andrei Stanishevsky ,
Jonathan McCoy ,
Robert Pego ,
Philip J. Rous  and
Martin Peckerar
Ruchirej Yongsunthon
Affiliation:
Physics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, U.S.A.
Ellen D. Williams
Affiliation:
Physics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, U.S.A.
Andrei Stanishevsky
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Ion Beam Research, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, U.S.A.
Jonathan McCoy
Affiliation:
Mathematics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, U.S.A.
Robert Pego
Affiliation:
Mathematics Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, U.S.A.
Philip J. Rous
Affiliation:
Physics Department, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD 21250, U.S.A.
Martin Peckerar
Affiliation:
Surface and Interface Sciences Branch, Code 6860, Naval Research Laboratory Washington, D.C. 20375
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Abstract

The spatial variation of current density in lines with model void defects fabricated using Focused-ion Beam (FIB) milling has been investigated using Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM). The model defects were designed to systematically simulate the natural void shapes that occur in electromigration failure of current-carrying lines. Inhomogenous current density around the defects manifests itself in the form of atypical asymmetry in the MFM signal near the defects. The extent of the asymmetry is greatly dependent upon the defect geometry. At current densities of 3-5×106 A/cm2, an asymmetry in the MFM signal is clearly visible around defects, such as a (1×1) μ,2 notch and a (1×9) μm2 45°-slanted slit, at the edge of a 10μm wide line. We present a survey of MFM images of various defect structures in current-carrying lines that perturb the homogenous current flow of a straight line.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 699: Symposium R – Electrically Based Microstructural Characterization III , 2001 , R5.2
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

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