What is the Contact Spike phenomenon in VLSI?

Contact spike is a phenomenon that can occur in very large-scale integration (VLSI) circuits when a voltage pulse is applied to a metal-to-metal contact. The pulse can cause a momentary increase in the resistance of the contact, leading to a spike in the current flowing through the contact. This spike can cause damage to the circuit and may result in a reliability failure. #

The contact spike phenomenon is more likely to occur at high voltages and high current densities. It can be mitigated by using materials with low contact resistance, such as gold or titanium, and by designing the contacts to have a larger area. It is also important to ensure that the contacts are clean and free of contaminants, as these can increase contact resistance and exacerbate the contact spike phenomenon.