Localized electrodeposition induced by Joule heat at a constriction

We report a novel localized electrodeposition process based on localized Joule heating at a constriction and the temperature dependence of the equilibrium potential at a metal-electrolyte interface. Assuming a local temperature rise of 50 K, a deposition rate as high as 2 μm per minute of copper is theoretically predicted in acidified copper sulfate solution, which is verified by a series of experiments. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs show that the deposited copper is dense and crystalline. As an immediate application of this novel phenomenon, a method of self-induced repair for incipient opens, i.e., a self-locating and self-terminating process to treat constrictions in circuits, is established.