Transport properties of plasma deposited amorphous silicon dioxide

Electronic quality a-SiO2 have been deposited by PECVD showing high breakdown fields and low trapping probability down to thickness of 16 nm. The transport properties of this material have been analyzed. The Fowler-Nordheim mechanism has been ruled out due a marked temperature sensitivity of the current around room temperature. On the other hand thermally activated transport, such as Schottky or Frenkel-Poole mechanisms, fit reasonably well the experimental data. However a better fit of the overall data seems to support the Schottky as the main transport mechanism in our materials.