Void growth in the early stages of aging and electromigration

Abstract
High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to study the initial stages of the growth of submicroscopic (<50 Å) voids in thin evaporated gold films. These voids were found to grow while aging at room temperature as well as under conditions in which electromigration normally occurs. Room‐temperature void growth was attributed to the annihilation of excess vacancies at voids.