Fowler-Nordheim tunneling in thin SiO2films

An analysis of the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling (FNT) theory and its application to temperature-dependent current-voltage characteristics of very thin SiO2 films on silicon, is presented. The final results are believed to provide the most complete examination in FN emission theory and predict the breakdown electric field in thin SiO2 films. The role of the roughness, at the Si-SiO2 interface, in determining the FNT current in these structures is also discussed.