in other areas (hillock formation).A temperature-ramp technique is presented that enables determination of the kinetic parameters for electromigration processes. With this method, preexponentials and activation energies can be measured in a single experiment requiring a few hours. The technique is applicable to both practical and fundamental studies of electromigration. For example, in terms of the former, reliability factors for conductor lifetimes can be readily determined. As far as the latter, new conductor compositions can be rapidly screened to ascertain their electromigration behavior.Temperature-ramp Resistance Analysis to Characterize Electromigration (TRACE) has been applied to thinfilm aluminum conductors. Results have yielded activation energies in agreement with literature values. Furthermore, the TRACE results have been used, along with resistivity results from the literature, to determine the current density effect on the pre-exponential factor. The value of the current density exponent thus determined is in accord with the range reported in the literature for Mean Time to Failure (MTF) experiments.The TRACE technique has also been used to determine the effect of hydrogen ambients on electromigration damage (EMD) kineti-cs for both aluminum and Al-2%Cu thin-film conductors. The effects of hydrogen ambients on EMD kinetics have been determined to be more complex than suggested by prior results in the literature.

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Circuitry is presented for the measurement of surface potential changes upon adsorption of gases on a metal foil or film by the static capacitor method. The circuit operates in the usual manner applying a backing off potential which opposes the flow of current from the cell comprised of the foil or film and a reference surface. The advantages of the present circuit include simplicity, low cost, fast response time, no moving parts, and the requirement of only one low voltage, dual-polarity power supply.

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