Effects of high-field electrical stress on the conduction properties of ultrathin La2 O3 films

Electron transport in high-field stressed metal-insulator-silicon devices with ultrathin (<5 nm) lanthanum oxide layers is investigated. We show that the leakage current flowing through the structure prior to degradation is direct and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling conduction, while that after stress exhibits diode-like behavior with series and parallel resistances. In this latter case, a closed-form expression for the current-voltage characteristic, based on the Lambert W function, is presented. Current evolution from one regime to the other during constant voltage stress takes place by means of discrete current steps of nearly identical magnitude, which would be indicative of the occurrence of multiple dielectric breakdowns across the insulating layer. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.