title: In-situ transmission electron microscopy observation of electromigration in Au thin wires.
abstract: Electromigration of thin Au wire is studied by the use of in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques from the viewpoint of nanogap formation. We use a relatively wide Au wire as a starting material because the position-dependent structure change in the wire provides information of the thermal effect caused by the current flow. In-situ TEM observation, in which current measurements of the Au wire are simultaneously performed, reveals the process of the growth of voids and grains. Finally the formation of a nanogap by electromigration is observed doing with current measurements. All the results observed by in-situ TEM indicate the fact that the thermal effects or temperature increase in the wire region take an important role for the structure change caused by electromigration of Au in the wire. It is suggested that the position of the nanogap can roughly be arranged by setting the wire structure and current direction even though a relatively wide wire was used. The detailed observation by in-situ TEM also suggests that the control of heat generation in the wire makes the nanogap sharp because of the well-controlled recrystallization of Au nanowires.
authors: Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Kita 14, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-00814, Japan.
authors: Yosuke
authors: Y
authors: Murakami
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Arita
authors: Kouichi
authors: K
authors: Hamada
authors: Yasuo
authors: Y
authors: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004579:Electron Transport; D004583:Electrons; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size
chemical_list: D006046:Gold