AVS 45th International Symposium
    Surface Science Division Wednesday Sessions
       Session SS1-WeA

Paper SS1-WeA5
Theory of Surface Electromigration on Stepped and Islanded Surfaces.

Wednesday, November 4, 1998, 3:20 pm, Room 308

Session: Electromigration and Surface Transport
Presenter: J. Cheng, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Authors: J. Cheng, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
P.J. Rous, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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We have applied multiple scattering theory to explore the variation of the electromigration wind force experienced by an adatom in the vicinity of steps and islands on a metal surface. We find that the electromigration wind force felt by a migrating adatom is strongly perturbed as it approaches a step or island edge. This is a result of multiple scattering of the carriers between the adatom and step/island which alters the local current density. The implications of this inhomogeneity in the electromigration driving force for current-induced changes in surface morphology are discussed. Since the calculated wind valence may be directly related to the surfaceinduced resistivity of an adatom we discuss the how the scattering interactions between steps and adatoms may be manifest in the resistivity of a metallic surface. @FootnoteText@ This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMR-9632521