Nonequilibrium 1/f noise and problems of submicron technology of high reliability microcircuits

A proposition is put forward that nonequilibrium fluctuations of reactive energy (electric and magnetic) in crystal areas are causing deterioration of the reliability of elements due to the decrease in their sizes. We assume that those fluctuations and the known 1/f noise are same. The lowest frequency of 1/f fluctuations of energy is defined by the microcircuit operating duration. Inevitably the moment will come when the intensity of this fluctuation will exceed a critical (destructive) level in crystal structures. This fact explains the known interrelation of nonequilibrium fluctuations and the reliability of electronic devices. The proof is based on analysis of steady-state electric processes by methods of both statistical physics and nonequilibrium thermodynamics. We show that nonequilibrium fluctuations lowers the reliability of microcircuits as the degree of miniaturization grows.