Electrical properties of GeO2films

Measurements have been made on thin films using Ge${\mathrm{O}}_2$ as the dielectric material and for thickness ranges from 130 to 2000 Å. These thin layers of Ge${\mathrm{O}}_2$ show a number of interesting electrical properties which include electroforming, voltage-controlled differential negative resistance, electroluminescence, electron-emission, and switching-memory effects. A theory is developed in terms of the growth and thermal rupture of many conducting filaments through the insulating layer to explain the observed voltage-controlled differential negative resistance, electron-emission, electroluminescence, and memory phenomena.