On the Melting of Ohmic-Heated Nanowires and Electrical Contacts

The temperature rise in a nanowire or an electrical contact made from specific materials, due to ohmic heating by a DC electrical current, may lead to uncontrollable thermal runaway with ensuing melting. Thermal runaway stems from a steep decrease with increasing temperature of the thermal conductivity of the conducting material, and subsequent trapping of the ohmic heat in the contact or the wire. This paper evaluates the temperature for the onset of thermal runaway in a nanowire and in a bulk electrical contact. A possible implication for memory devices using ohmic-heated nanofilms or nanowires is also discussed.