Comment on “(Ta1−xNbx)2O5 films produced by atomic layer deposition: Temperature dependent dielectric spectroscopy and room-temperature I–V characteristics” [J. Appl. Phys. 90, 4532 (2001)]

Experimental results on the I–V characteristics of Ta2O5 and mixed Ta–Nb oxide films at room temperature, reported by Strømme et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 90, 4532 (2001)], are reinterpreted in terms of multiphonon-assisted electron tunneling from traps. Electron-phonon coupling constant and trap depth values are elucidated. Multiphonon-assisted electron tunneling theory eliminates ambiguities in the values of the dielectric constant and other basic parameters deduced from the Poole–Frenkel, Fowler–Nordheim, or Schottky models. Only in the low-field range must the Frenkel emission be taken into account.