Non-Ohmic Conduction in Vacuum-Deposited SiO Films

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Abstract
The current through vacuum-deposited SiO films in the thickness range 1–4 µ is measured as a function of voltage and temperature between 10° and 80°C. Three regions are distinguished in the current-voltage relationship; (1) voltage below 0.1 V, (2) from 0.1 to 10 V and (3) above 10 V. The current-voltage characteristic is linear in the region (1) but becomes nonlinear in the regions (2) and (3). In the region (3), the current depends on voltage and thickness only through the electric field E, the activation energy decreases linearly with increasing E 1/2 and the logarithmic current increases linearly with increasing E 1/2. These results are quantitatively explained in terms of field enhanced thermal excitation of trapped electrons into the conduction band (Poole-Frenkel effect). The energy gap between trap level and conduction band is estimated to be 0.54 eV.

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