This Communication presents the important finding that certain chalcogenide materials, well-known from rewritable optical recording, allow resistive memory states that are a combination of two electrically-induced (reversible) switching processes, i.e., an actual amorphous-crystalline phase transformation and a (electrolytic) polarity-dependent resistance change. Nanometer-sized crystalline marks were written electrically in amorphous Ge 2 Sb 2+x Te 5 films using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and their resistance was found to depend on the polarity of the applied voltage with a resistance difference of three orders of magnitude. However, no contrast in current has been detected between the crystalline higherresistance state and the surrounding amorphous phase. This resistance switching is reversible for bias voltages well below the threshold voltage required to induce the phase transformation. The switching mechanism is attributed to the solidstate electrolytic behavior due to the presence of excess Sb in the films. Our results render exciting technological opportunities for data storage and encryption by combining both switching concepts.Following his seminal work in 1968, [1] Ovshinsky demonstrated in chalcogenide alloys a fast reversible transformation between amorphous and crystalline phases induced by electrical or optical (laser) pulses. [2][3][4] The two phases exhibited clear contrast in electrical and optical properties and, hence, these materials were suggested for binary data-storage applications. However, it took considerable time before rewritable optical compact discs (CD) and digital versatile discs (DVD) based on these findings came to the market. In recent years, the main focus of phase-change data-storage research returned to resistance switching. So-called chalcogenide or phase-change random access memory (CRAM/PRAM) and ovonic unified memory (OUM) based on the phase-dependent resistance switching are currently under intense investigations, [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] because they show great promise as next-generation nonvolatile solid-state memory replacing flash memory. In certain chalcogenides a special phenomenon of polaritydependent resistance switching (induced by an electric field) has been identified. [14][15][16][17][18][19] This is related to the solid-state electrolytic character and high ionic conductivities of chalcogenides, and hence is called ionic/electrolytic switching. For one polarity, the chalcogenide medium is electrically conductive by forming conducting filamentary pathways between electrodes, whereas for the reverse polarity it becomes relatively insulative or at least less conductive because of rupture of the previously formed electrical pathways. Memory elements (or structures) based on this switching have been demonstrated in some Ag-saturated chalcogenides including Ag-S, [14,15] AgGe-Se, [16,17] Ag-Ge-Te, [18] and Ag-In-Sb-Te. [19] This switching seems more attractive for applications than phase-dependent switching, because i) it can be performed at lower volta...
Covalently interacted graphene–ionic liquid hybrid nanomaterials as lubricant additives significantly improve lubrication properties by reducing friction and wear.
Manipulation of surface architecture of semiconducting nanowires with a control in surface polarity is one of the important objectives for nanowire based electronic and optoelectronic devices for commercialization. We report the growth of exceptionally high structural and optical quality nonpolar GaN nanowires with controlled and uniform surface morphology and size distribution, for large scale production. The role of O contamination (~1-10^5 ppm) in the surface architecture of these nanowires is investigated with the possible mechanism involved. Nonpolar GaN nanowires grown in O rich condition show the inhomogeneous surface morphologies and sizes (50 - 150 nm) while nanowires are having precise sizes of 40(5) nm and uniform surface morphology, for the samples grown in O reduced condition. Relative O contents are estimated using electron energy loss spectroscopy studies. Size-selective growth of uniform nanowires is also demonstrated, in the O reduced condition, using different catalyst sizes. Photoluminescence studies along with the observation of single-mode waveguide formation, as far field bright violet multiple emission spots, reveal the high optical quality of the nonpolar GaN nanowires grown in the O reduced condition.Comment: 27 Pages, 8 figure, journa
In this paper, we demonstrate reversible resistance switching in a capacitorlike cell using a Ge-Sb-Te film that does not rely on amorphous-crystalline phase change. The polarity of the applied electric field switches the cell resistance between lower-and higher-resistance states, as was observed in current-voltage characteristics. Moreover, voltage pulses less than 1.25 V showed this switching within time scales of microseconds with more than 40% contrast between the resistance states. The latter are found to be nonvolatile for months. The switching could also be achieved at nanoscales with atomic force microscopy with a better resistance contrast of three orders of magnitude.
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