Instability in post-breakdown conduction in ultra-thin gate oxide

Both switching and snapback between two well-defined states (a lower impedance state and a high impedance state) in the post-breakdown conduction in ultra-thin silicon dioxide films have been observed, and a comparison between them was made. The current-voltage relationship of each state was found to follow a power law for both the switching and snapback. The switching and snapback can be explained in terms of the on/off state of a second conductive percolation path of neutral oxide traps due to the de-trapping/trapping or neutral trap generation at certain SiO₂ lattice sites (strategic positions) during the measurements.