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

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