Room temperature current oscillations in naturally grown silicon nanocrystallites embedded in oxide films

Current oscillations and other abnormalities in the dark current-voltage characteristics of an aluminum/silicon-rich oxide (SRO)/silicon structure were observed at room temperature. The SRO layers in the devices were fabricated by low pressure chemical vapor deposition and postdeposition thermal annealing. The spikelike current oscillations and other abnormalities are interpreted by an alternative switching between the on and off states of the conduction paths through the Si nanocrystallites at proper biases.