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

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