Tunneling and transport via localized states in thin a-Si tunnel barriers and the application of these barriers in a tunneling study of superconducting V-Ga alloy films

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5276842

Bending, S J

The goal of Part I of this thesis was to gain an understanding of real potential tunnel barriers in metal/insulator/metal tunnel junctions beyond the conventional average potential barrier' approximation used to describe them. In particular, it was hoped to understand the role of localized states in the tunnel barrier and the contribution to the conductance of the junction. Systems based on composite amorphous silicon/silicon oxide barriers were generated. By careful manipulation of the symmetry of such structures situations were created where transport was dominated either by classic direct tunneling or by resonant tunneling via localized states in the a-Si. Those junctions which were dominated by resonant tunneling were then studied comprehensively as a function of temperature and junction bias voltage. In general the author find that localized states in all real tunnel barriers can contribute considerably to the tunneling conductance, and can strongly influence the form of the I-V characteristic observed. Tunnel junctions were made on thin films of V-Ga and then examined as a function of alloy composition under various conditions. Conclusions were then drawn about the mechanism of superconductivity in this system.

• Research Organization: Stanford Univ., CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5276842
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
GALLIUM ALLOYS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
MIM JUNCTIONS
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
TUNNEL EFFECT
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
VANADIUM ALLOYS
SILICON
SILICON OXIDES
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
THIN FILMS
ALLOYS
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELEMENTS
FILMS
JUNCTIONS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SEMIMETALS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
420800* - Engineering- Electronic Circuits & Devices- (-1989)
360603 - Materials- Properties
360104 - Metals & Alloys- Physical Properties