Current in a system formed by a microprobe and a thin-film layered structure

The current in a system formed by a conducting microprobe and a thin-film layered structure is experimentally studied. The possibility of a stable current flow with a density of up to 3 × 106 A/cm2 is demonstrated. It is found that, in order to attain an operation mode with a high current density, a sufficiently strong current (∼200 mA) must be first transmitted through the sample. The current distribution in the studied structure is calculated. The theoretical distribution is found to be in agreement with experimental results.