MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION OF THE DC SIZE EFFECT IN THIN-FILMS

The Monte Carlo method is used to study the effect of boundary scatter ing on the temperature dependent part of the resistivity of thin metal films. A computational scheme is used that realistically simulates el ectron scattering mechanisms in the semiclassical context. As a test o f the accuracy of the method, comparison is made between the present m ethod at absolute zero (impurity and boundary scattering only) and the analytical results of Fuchs, which rely on the relaxation time approx imation (RTA). The inclusion of phonon scattering provides a measure o f the size induced deviations from Matthiessen's Rule (SIDMR). At low temperatures phonon scattering cannot be adequately described using th e RTA and the numerical technique presented shows good promise of over coming this problem. Calculated SIDMR results are compared with some r ecent data on Al and Ga films.