Electromigration in gold thin films

Ž . We study the modification of gold thin film surface by Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy STM and grazing incidence X-ray to understand the process of electromigration. As a result of the applied current we have observed by STM a large movement of matter in the film surface that results in a strong rearrangement and modification of all the surface structures in a matter of minutes. We obtained 2 : that the 111 peak position shift towards the gold standards with elapsed time indicating that the surface strains formed during film growth disappears. The conclusion of the study is that the electrical current induces a rearrangement of the gold film surface. q 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.