Electropulse‐Driven Dislocation Evolution in Sub‐10 nm Metallic Nanocrystals

ABSTRACT

As critical microelectronic components are scaled down to the sub‐10 nm level, they experience extreme current densities that inevitably trigger defect formation and evolution. Understanding dislocation dynamics and electro‐induced damage at this particular scale is therefore crucial, as it governs the reliability of next‐generation nanodevices. Herein, we investigate the dislocation evolution in Mo and Pt microcrystals upon pulse stimulation. By tracking dislocation generation, motion, and annihilation pulse‐by‐pulse, we reveal that enhanced electron–lattice interactions induce dislocation nucleation from sites of structural heterogeneity, in the form of dislocation loops. These dislocations experience frequent interaction and annihilation in the subsequent electropulsing process, inducing a periodic variation of dislocation density and contributing to the structural disordering. These findings not only provide insights into the structural degradation of metallic nano‐interconnects during service but also have important implications for understanding the electroplasticity in bulk materials.