A thermodynamic model for electrical current induced damage (Q1434684)

Based on thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, continuum damage mechanics and atomic diffusion, an evolution model is presented for electromigration-induced damage. The model agrees with Black's empirical model, which was obtained from experimental data, where it was shown that the mean time to failure is related to the inverse power of two of the current density. In this paper entropy production due to electromigration is proposed as a damage metric. The proposed damage evolution model includes the effect of electrical field forces, stress gradient effect, vacancy concentration and the thermal gradient.