Non-ohmic characteristics and electron emission from electroformed Al-Au couples and gold thin films

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Abstract
Non-ohmic characteristics, negative resistance and electron emission has been observed arising from thin Al-Au couples and thin films of gold which contain small gaps. These characteristics are remarkably similar to those observed from sandwich MIM structures showing a break point at about 4 V in the I-V curve followed by negative resistance and electron emission. These effects, coupled with reversible negative resistance behaviour, pressure sensitivity and electron emission cannot be adequately described by a filamentary model alone. An alternative scheme is suggested which considers the effects of tunnelling and field emission across very narrow gaps in the gold film.