Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

electromigration
     
         Mass transport due to momentum exchange between
        conducting electrons and diffusing metal atoms.
        Electromigration causes progressive damage to the metal
        conductors in an {integrated circuit}.  It is characteristic
        of metals at very high current density and temperatures of
        100C or more.
     
        The term was coined by Professor Hilbert Huntington in the
        late 1950s because he didn't like the German use of the word
        "electrotransport".
     
        Mass transoport occurs via the Einstein relation J=DFC/kT
        where F is the driving force for the transoport.  For
        electromigraiton F is z*epj and z* is an electromigration
        parameter relating the momentum exchange and z is the charge
        of the "diffusing" species.
     
        (1999-02-25)