FORMING PROCESS, IV CHARACTERISTICS AND SWITCHING IN GOLD ISLAND FILMS

Some experimental results are presented concerning the electrical properties and electron microscope observations of discontinuous gold island films on an insulating substrate. Electron microscope observations during the electrical operation identified the so-called forming process as coagulation of a thin continuous gold film. Some rules for the development of a voltage-controlled negative resistance portion of the I-V characteristic are formulated. Switching occurs when point contacts are used. The results presented are in agreement with a model on related subjects proposed by Dearnaley et al., who postulated a filamentary conduction state. Some modifications concerning rupture of the filaments are necessary however. © 1978.