How repeated spot microdischarges damage microdevices

In microelectronics, devices made up of two electrodes separated by an insulating barrier are subject to multiple of microdischarges - referred to as microfilaments - at the same spot. These stem from residual excited atoms and ions from within the material, the surface charge deposited on the insulating part of the device, and local temperature build-up. These reoccurences can lead to the creation of pin-holes in the material of the microelectronic devices where they occur, and are due to local