Influence of silicon species on the electric properties of anodic niobia

The influence of incorporation of silicon species on the electric properties of anodic niobia, formed in 0.1 mol dm^-3 ammonium pentaborate electrolyte, has been examined using sputter-deposited Nb-Si alloys containing 5 and 17 at.% silicon. The potential dependence of the capacitance of anodic niobia, originating from its n-type semiconducting properties, becomes less significant by incorporation of silicon species. In addition, the leakage current decreases with increasing silicon content in the alloy. The thermal stability of the anodic niobia is also enhanced by silicon species; the capacitance and leakage current, which increase significantly for niobium, are little influenced by annealing up to 523 K. The silicon species are incorporated in the inner 72% of the film thickness, as a consequence of immobility of the species in growing anodic niobia. The immobility of silicon species is associated with a strong Si⁴⁺-O bond, which may also contribute to the reduction of leakage current.