Influence of Voltage Polarity on Electric Strength of Thin-Film Capacitors

The paper reveals the peculiarities of the influence of the polarity reversal of voltage applied to the plates of thin-film capacitors on the change in the electric breakdown voltage. The reason for the decrease in the voltage of the first breakdown of a thin-film capacitor is established when the polarity of the applied voltage is reversed. This decrease is due to a strong increase in the electric field strength in the bulk of the dielectric due to the accumulation of a negative space charge on the micro-tips of the electrodes when the electrode was at a negative potential. This effect is observed in Al-SiO2-Al and Al-TiO2-Al capacitor structures, which allows to assume its versatility and extend it to the entire spectrum of dielectric films used in microelectronics.