ELECTRICAL-PROPERTIES OF AU-POLYSTYRENE-AU SUBMICRON STRUCTURES

Electrical forming and voltage-current characteristics of Au-polystyre ne-Au (MIM) structures created on a glassy substrate were studied. Pol ystyrene (PS) isolating films, 180-800nm thick, were prepared by spinn ing from a solution. It was shown that the electroforming of MIM struc tures occurs at the voltage of 6-6.5 V and that the shaping rate depen ds on the insulator thickness, temperature, and the shaping time. The voltage-current characteristics exhibit a region with ohmic behaviour and, above a certain voltage, a region with effective negative resista nce. The negative resistance is explained by deterioration of conducti ve Au filaments at higher voltages. The voltage decrease does not resu lt in a complete recovery of all filaments.