A Review of Resistive Switching Devices: Performance Improvement, Characterization, and Applications

Abstract

As human society enters the big data era, huge data storage and energy‐efficient data processing are in great demand. The resistive switching device is an emerging device with both inherent memory and computation capabilities. It may bring disruptive influences to modern information technology from bottom up. After decades of study of the materials, mechanisms, and devices, the maturity of the resistive switching device in various applications, for example, nonvolatile memory, artificial neural networks, and information security, could be foreseen. Herein, the recent progress of the resistive switching device from the aspects of materials, devices, and applications is reviewed. First, the resistive switching device, including mechanisms and materials, is briefly discussed. Performance improvement methods with respect to individual device properties are systematically illustrated. Second, characterization technologies for understanding the mechanism and guidance of device design are classified and discussed in depth. Third, various applications based on resistive switching devices are summarized. The review ends with a brief conclusion concerning the challenges from mechanism to algorithm level and the future outlook.

Reversible Barrier Switching of ZnO/RuO2 Schottky Diodes

“…Harvesting the ultimate circuit miniaturization potential of passive crossbar structures requires to solve the sneak path current issue, which is only rarely achieved with filamentary memristors [23][24][25]. An alternative is area-scaling devices with built-in rectification, which operate through barrier modulation.…”

Memristor-based biomimetic compound eye for real-time collision detection

“…Owing to the voltage dividing effect, the C p can be charged initially via charging loop because the voltage mainly drops across the FLBP-CsPbBr 3 TSM device (we design the neuron with R OFF > R 1 , where R OFF is the high resistance of FLBP-CsPbBr 3 TSM at the initial state, ~500 TΩ). Once the voltage of C p reaches its threshold, the TSM will be switched from HRS to LRS (R on ~1 kΩ), and the capacitor discharges via discharging loop, inducing the firing of the artificial neuron [57][58][59] .…”

Structure‐Dependent Influence of Moisture on Resistive Switching Behavior of ZnO Thin Films

“…Two‐terminal memristive devices relying on resistive switching phenomena in metal‐insulator‐metal structured devices have recently attracted great attention for the realization of next‐generation memories and neuromorphic architectures. [ 1–4 ] In case of devices based on the electrochemical metallization memory (ECM) effect, the physical mechanism of switching relies on electrochemical effects and nanoionic processes involving dissolution of metal atoms from an electrochemically active electrode and consequent migration of metal ions in an insulating matrix to form a metallic conductive bridge that is responsible for the change of the device resistance. [ 5,6 ] Previous reports showed that resistive switching mechanism is strongly influenced by extrinsic effects such as the presence of moisture that can diffuse and be adsorbed in the insulating matrix.…”