Work on 1/f noise and nonlinear effects in thin metal films is reviewed. The experimental dependences of the noise level and the I-V cubic nonlinearity coefficient of films on their thickness, temperature, and internal mechanical stresses are presented. The data on the effect of film microstructure on the 1/f- noise level are also given. The 1/f-noise spectral density and the I-V nonlinearity coefficient both show an activation temperature dependence and an exponential internal-mechanical-stress dependence, for metal films with elevated mobile-defect concentrations. A physical model of the 1/f noise and I-V nonlinearity is analyzed which involves the creation and annihilation of quasi-equilibrium vacancies in the bulk of the metal film and enables the observed relationship between the experimental data and the 1/f noise and the I-V nonlinearity to be explained.

PACS: 72.70.+m, 73.50.Td (all) DOI: 10.1070/PU1997v040n06ABEH000246 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/1997/6/c/ A1997XM47200003 Citation: Zhigal’skii G P "1/f noise and nonlinear effects in thin metal films" Phys. Usp. 40 599–622 (1997) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Оригинал: Жигальский Г П «Шум вида 1/f и нелинейные эффекты в тонких металлических пленках» УФН 167 623–648 (1997); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0167.199706c.0623