BaTiO3 (BT) thin films were prepared by flash evaporation onto p-Si and SiO
2/p-Si from a Re boat at 1800 degrees C in ultra high vacuum. The films are
amorphous and remain so after a thickness reduction by 10-20% upon anneali
ng at 500 degrees C for 3 min in O-2 atmosphere. Annealing raises, also, th
e index of refraction by some 5% and the extinction coefficient by a factor
of 2. Electron injection at the Al to BT interface of Al/BT/Si capacitors
is enhanced by the Schottky effect, yielding a value of 11.2 for the dielec
tric constant of BT. Modeling current-time measurements yields a trap densi
ty of 10(24) m(-3), 0.82 eV below the conduction band, Capacitance-voltage
curve shifts due to bias stress on Al/BT/SiO2/Si capacitors are interpreted
as caused by electron injection and trapping in the BT films. Starting dep
osition at 170 degrees C or postdeposition annealing reduces the trap densi
ty and increases the capacitance-voltage curve shifts by bias stress, from
0.3 to over 14 V at bias stress of -10 V. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. Al
l rights reserved.