Recurrent local resistance breakdown of epitaxial BaTiO3 heterostructures

Leakage current through epitaxial BaTiO3 films was investigated to clarify the difference between the characteristics of nanometer and millimeter-size metal contacts. SrTiO3:Nb bottom electrode revealed genuine properties of a single metal/BaTiO3 contact and demonstrated that breakdown voltage and leakage current density at both nanometer and millimeter-size contacts were controlled by the Schottky barrier. However, in marked contrast with millimeter-size contacts, nanometer-size contacts conducted little current below breakdown voltage and repeatedly exhibited abrupt breakdowns having a giant current density >10 A mm(-2). The breakdown field was as high as 0.45 MV cm(-1) at the forward bias, while no breakdown occurred up to 0.5 MV cm(-1) at the reverse bias. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)00719-0].