Charge Transport in Anodized Ta sub 2 O sub 5 Thin Films

Ta sub 2 O sub 5 has been actively investigated for more than fifty years and is an established dielectric material in discrete capacitors made from anodized, porous tantalum substrates. A comprehensive review of the anodization literature to 1975 has been published (1). More recently, the potential new use of Ta sub 2 O sub 5 as a thin film dielectic material in silicon devices has promoted an even greater interest in this material (2). However, successful integration of Ta sub 2 O sub 5 into silicon devices requires a more detailed understanding of the charge transport mechanisms in this material than is currently available. This is the focus of the current work. Comparisons can also be made to the properties of other anodized films (HfO sub 2, ZrO sub 2, etc.).