{"title":"Colossal permittivity and defect-engineered conduction in Ag/Al/SiO2/Si/Ag MIS structures for next-generation RRAM and 5G/6G capacitors","authors":"A. Ashery","doi":"10.1016/j.sse.2025.109256","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Ag/Al/SiO<sub>2</sub>/Si/Ag metal–insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure exhibits remarkable dielectric and electrical properties, making it a promising candidate for next-generation electronic applications. This study systematically investigates the colossal permittivity, defect-mediated conduction, and relaxation dynamics of the dual-metal MIS structure using impedance spectroscopy, dielectric analysis, and AC conductivity measurements across wide frequency (1 kHz–20 MHz), temperature (80–400 K), and voltage (±5 V) ranges. Key findings reveal that the Ag/Al electrode configuration induces unique interfacial polarization effects, leading to ultrahigh dielectric constants (ε′ > 103 at low frequencies) and low loss tangents (tanδ < 0.1) suitable for high-frequency capacitors in 5G/6G technologies. The structure also demonstrates voltage-tunable resistive switching via Ag filament formation, enabling ultra-low-power resistive random-access memory (RRAM) with enhanced endurance.</div><div>Novelty: Unlike conventional Al/SiO<sub>2</sub>/Si devices, the dual-metal design leverages Ag’s high ionic mobility to modulate defect states and conduction pathways, resulting in: Colossal permittivity from space charge polarization at Ag/SiO<sub>2</sub> and SiO<sub>2</sub>/Si interfaces. Defect-engineered conduction via thermally activated hopping and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. Negative capacitance effects at high frequencies, attributed to charge trapping/detrapping dynamics.</div><div>New Applications:</div><div><strong>RRAM</strong>: Controlled Ag migration enables nanoscale filamentary switching with low operating voltages (<3 V).</div><div><strong>High-frequency capacitors</strong>: Stable ε′ and low tanδ up to 1 MHz meet demands for 5G/6G integrated passives.</div><div><strong>Flexible electronics</strong>: Compatibility with polymer hybrids (e.g., PVA-SiO<sub>2</sub>) allows integration into stretchable substrates.</div><div>Challenges such as interfacial defect control and thermal stability are addressed, with proposed solutions including barrier layers and stoichiometric optimization. This work bridges fundamental dielectric spectroscopy with practical device engineering, offering a roadmap for advancing Ag/Al/SiO<sub>2</sub>/Si/Ag structures in nanoelectronics and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21909,"journal":{"name":"Solid-state Electronics","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 109256"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Solid-state Electronics","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038110125002011","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The Ag/Al/SiO2/Si/Ag metal–insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure exhibits remarkable dielectric and electrical properties, making it a promising candidate for next-generation electronic applications. This study systematically investigates the colossal permittivity, defect-mediated conduction, and relaxation dynamics of the dual-metal MIS structure using impedance spectroscopy, dielectric analysis, and AC conductivity measurements across wide frequency (1 kHz–20 MHz), temperature (80–400 K), and voltage (±5 V) ranges. Key findings reveal that the Ag/Al electrode configuration induces unique interfacial polarization effects, leading to ultrahigh dielectric constants (ε′ > 103 at low frequencies) and low loss tangents (tanδ < 0.1) suitable for high-frequency capacitors in 5G/6G technologies. The structure also demonstrates voltage-tunable resistive switching via Ag filament formation, enabling ultra-low-power resistive random-access memory (RRAM) with enhanced endurance.
Novelty: Unlike conventional Al/SiO2/Si devices, the dual-metal design leverages Ag’s high ionic mobility to modulate defect states and conduction pathways, resulting in: Colossal permittivity from space charge polarization at Ag/SiO2 and SiO2/Si interfaces. Defect-engineered conduction via thermally activated hopping and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. Negative capacitance effects at high frequencies, attributed to charge trapping/detrapping dynamics.
New Applications:
RRAM: Controlled Ag migration enables nanoscale filamentary switching with low operating voltages (<3 V).
High-frequency capacitors: Stable ε′ and low tanδ up to 1 MHz meet demands for 5G/6G integrated passives.
Flexible electronics: Compatibility with polymer hybrids (e.g., PVA-SiO2) allows integration into stretchable substrates.
Challenges such as interfacial defect control and thermal stability are addressed, with proposed solutions including barrier layers and stoichiometric optimization. This work bridges fundamental dielectric spectroscopy with practical device engineering, offering a roadmap for advancing Ag/Al/SiO2/Si/Ag structures in nanoelectronics and beyond.
期刊介绍:
It is the aim of this journal to bring together in one publication outstanding papers reporting new and original work in the following areas: (1) applications of solid-state physics and technology to electronics and optoelectronics, including theory and device design; (2) optical, electrical, morphological characterization techniques and parameter extraction of devices; (3) fabrication of semiconductor devices, and also device-related materials growth, measurement and evaluation; (4) the physics and modeling of submicron and nanoscale microelectronic and optoelectronic devices, including processing, measurement, and performance evaluation; (5) applications of numerical methods to the modeling and simulation of solid-state devices and processes; and (6) nanoscale electronic and optoelectronic devices, photovoltaics, sensors, and MEMS based on semiconductor and alternative electronic materials; (7) synthesis and electrooptical properties of materials for novel devices.