In this review, we provide an overview of our work in resistive switching mechanisms on oxide-based resistance random access memory (RRAM) devices. Based on the investigation of physical and chemical mechanisms, we focus on its materials, device structures, and treatment methods so as to provide an in-depth perspective of state-of-the-art oxide-based RRAM. The critical voltage and constant reaction energy properties were found, which can be used to prospectively modulate voltage and operation time to control RRAM device working performance and forecast material composition. The quantized switching phenomena in RRAM devices were demonstrated at ultra-cryogenic temperature (4K), which is attributed to the atomic-level reaction in metallic filament. In the aspect of chemical mechanisms, we use the Coulomb Faraday theorem to investigate the chemical reaction equations of RRAM for the first time. We can clearly observe that the first-order reaction series is the basis for chemical reaction during reset process in the study. Furthermore, the activation energy of chemical reactions can be extracted by changing temperature during the reset process, from which the oxygen ion reaction process can be found in the RRAM device. As for its materials, silicon oxide is compatible to semiconductor fabrication lines. It is especially promising for the silicon oxide-doped metal technology to be introduced into the industry. Based on that, double-ended graphene oxide-doped silicon oxide based via-structure RRAM with filament self-aligning formation, and self-current limiting operation ability is demonstrated. The outstanding device characteristics are attributed to the oxidation and reduction of graphene oxide flakes formed during the sputter process. Besides, we have also adopted a new concept of supercritical CO2 fluid treatment to efficiently reduce the operation current of RRAM devices for portable electronic applications.
A nitridation treatment technology with a urea/ammonia complex nitrogen source improved resistive switching property in HfO2-based resistive random access memory (RRAM). The nitridation treatment produced a high performance and reliable device which results in superior endurance (more than 109 cycles) and a self-compliance effect. Thus, the current conduction mechanism changed due to defect passivation by nitrogen atoms in the HfO2 thin film. At a high resistance state (HRS), it transferred to Schottky emission from Poole-Frenkel in HfO2-based RRAM. At low resistance state (LRS), the current conduction mechanism was space charge limited current (SCLC) after the nitridation treatment, which suggests that the nitrogen atoms form Hf–N–Ox vacancy clusters (Vo
+) which limit electron movement through the switching layer.
A bilayer resistive switching memory device with an inserted porous silicon oxide layer is investigated in this letter. Compared with single Zr:SiO x layer structure, Zr:SiO x /porous SiO x structure outperforms from various aspects, including low operating voltages, tighter distributions of set voltage, higher stability of both low resistance state and high resistance state, and satisfactory endurance characteristics. Electric field simulation by COMSOL TM Multiphysics is applied, which corroborates that intensive electric field around the pore in porous SiO x layer guides the conduction of electrons. The constraint of conduction path leads to better stabilization and prominent performance of bilayer resistive switching devices. V
In this letter, a double-active-layer (Zr:SiO x / C:SiO x ) resistive switching memory device with a high ON/ OFF resistance ratio and small working current (0.02 mA), is presented. Through the analysis of Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra, we find that graphene oxide exists in the C:SiO x layer. It can be observed that Zr:SiO x /C:SiO x structure has superior switching performance and higher stability compared with the single-active-layer (Zr:SiO x ) structure, which is attributed to the existence of graphene oxide flakes formed during the sputter process. I-V characteristics under a series of increasing temperature were analyzed to testify the carrier hopping distance variation, which is further verified by our graphene oxide redox reaction model.
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