CURRENT-VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIN -FILM DIODES

Abstract

The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of thin-film diodes were measured at 4.2K, 77K, and room temperature. Superconductive tunneling was achieved with a diode consisting of aluminum, aluminum oxide, and lead (Al/ Al2O3/Pb). In the nonsuperconducting state the Al/Al2O3/Pb type of thin-film diode exhibited Zener breakdown between 1.5 and 3.5 volts. However, the Al/ Al2O3/Pb diodes did not have reproducible I-V characteristics, and the nonsuperconducting Al/Al2O3/Pb diode could not be operated with AC voltage long enough to serve as a practical electronic device. A thin-film diode consisting of aluminum, aluminum oxide, manganese, and lead exhibited power -law I-V characteristics at ambient temperatures, under 60-cycle excitation, and could be operated with a reproducible I-V characteristic for several hours. Bistable switching was achieved with a thin-film diode consisting of aluminum, aluminum oxide, lead, and aluminum; in this diode the short-circuit state was produced by a high-voltage pulse and the open-circuit state by a low-voltage pulse. A theoretical analysis of the observed I-V characteristic is presented.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0630587

Entities

People

  • R. D. Hitchcock

Organizations

  • Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aluminum
  • Aluminum Oxides
  • Barometric Pressure
  • Civil Engineering
  • Construction
  • Energy Gaps
  • High Voltage
  • Measurement
  • Oxide Films
  • P-N Junctions
  • Resistance
  • Semiconductor Devices
  • Semiconductors
  • Transistors
  • Vacuum Deposition
  • Work Functions
  • Zener Diodes

Fields of Study

  • Materials science
  • Physics

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Superconducting Magnet Technology

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene