A Monte Carlo simulation was developed for electromigration in polycrystalline metal. Stripes having various average grain sizes could be generated by Voronoi tessellation, and be mapped onto a network of resistors. The model took account of the major roles which were played by grain boundaries and by current-density redistribution within the stripe following void formation. Electromigration noise was also considered, and this reproduced the characteristic inverse-square behaviour. Substantial qualitative agreement was found between the calculations and experimental results.

Monte Carlo Simulation of Electromigration in Polycrystalline Metal Stripes. S.Di Pascoll, G.Iannaccone: Semiconductor Science and Technology, 2000, 15[6], 608-12