Onset of long-range diffusion and exponent of 1/fα noise in metal films with electromigration damage

Investigations of low-frequency conductance fluctuations have been done on silver films which have been made to undergo electromigration damage. The system shows a clear increase in noise magnitude after electromigration damage. The noise spectral power,shows a distinct presence of 1/f(3/2) component arising out of long-range diffusion. The temperature dependence of noise (150 K < T < 350 K) shows a marked deviation from the Dutta-Horn type behavior with the 1/f(3/2) term showing a strong dominance at higher temperatures. We propose that the. increase of noise in metal films after electromigration damage arise predominantly from this spectral component. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.1523155].