Mutual relation of leakage and emission currents in the Al-Al₂O₃-Al system

Abstract

In the present paper the analysis of VA characteristics of the leakage current determined experimentally for the Al-Al₂O₃-Al system is discussed. It is shown that the total leakage current is given by a sum of several local currents from the single places of the dielectric given by various mechanisms acting simultaneously. The tunnel component of the leakage current passes through a part of the dielectric area only. This current component obeys the same regularities holding for the case of emission current of electrons into vacuum. Comparison of the values of applied field intensity obtained for this tunnel component leakage current with the values corresponding to the Fowler-Nordheim equation suggests the assumption of a nonuniform potential distribution in the dielectric, i.e. the existence of a region where the potential drop agrees with the theoretical values and the region of a lower potential drop. Further, the influence of the position of potential barrier and the transmission probability over the top electrode on the emission VA characteristics is shown.