Enhancing metal-insulator-insulator-metal tunnel diodes via defect enhanced direct tunneling

Metal-insulator-insulator-metal tunnel diodes with dissimilar work function electrodes and nanolaminate Al2O3-Ta2O5 bilayer tunnel barriers deposited by atomic layer deposition are investigated. This combination of high and low electron affinity insulators, each with different dominant conduction mechanisms (tunneling and Frenkel-Poole emission), results in improved low voltage asymmetry and non-linearity of current versus voltage behavior. These improvements are due to defect enhanced direct tunneling in which electrons transport across the Ta2O5 via defect based conduction before tunneling directly through the Al2O3, effectively narrowing the tunnel barrier. Conduction through the device is dominated by tunneling, and operation is relatively insensitive to temperature.