Snapback behaviour and its similarity to the switching behaviour in ultra-thin silicon dioxide films after hard breakdown

Snapback behaviour, with well-defined conduction states involved, has been observed in the ramped-current current-voltage ( I - V ) characteristics of ultra-thin silicon dioxide films after the occurrence of hard breakdown. The comparison of the snapback behaviour with the switching behaviour observed in the ramped-voltage measurement shows that the two behaviours are similar, suggesting that they can be explained by the same mechanism. The I - V relationship of each conduction state involved in either the snapback or the switching behaviours was found to follow a power law. These observations are consistent with the percolation model, and they can be easily explained in terms of the on/off of conductive percolation paths due to detrapping/trapping or neutral trap generation at certain SiO 2 lattice sites (strategic positions) during the measurements.