Towards a Universal Model of Dielectric Breakdown

We present a microscopic breakdown (BD) model in which chemical bonds are weakened by carrier injection and trapping into pre-existing structural defects (precursors) and by the electric field. The model goes much beyond the existing ones by consistently explaining the role of both current (a weakness of the E model) and temperature (a weakness of the power-law model), along with the role of the electric field. It also explains the non-Arrhenius temperature dependence of BD. It suggests a new comprehensive physics-based framework (with tight connections to material properties) reconciling the many breakdown theories proposed so far (E, power-law, 1/E, ...) within a more universal breakdown model.