NONLINEAR CONDUCTION IN TEXTURED AND NON TEXTURED LITHIUM-NIOBATE THIN-FILMS

DC conduction mechanisms in lithium niobate thin films as a function of microstructure have been investigated. Sol-gel synthesis of LiNbO3 films on Si and Pt-coated Si substrates produced two different microstructures which caused significant differences in the electrical response of these films to de fields. At high fields, space charge limited conduction dominated in near epitaxial, highly textured LiNbO3 films on Pt-coated Si substrates. Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of polycrystalline LiNbO3 films on Si substrates were complex, and there is a strong possibility of Poole-Frenkel emission from shallow traps in these non textured films.