Metal-insulator-metal (M-I-M) structures involving transition-metal oxides and, more recently, also perovskite oxides with resistive switching effects have attracted substantial interest in research aimed at nonvolatile memories of nanometer dimensions. Although some models are presently under discussion, it is still not clear whether the fundamental switching mechanism is an interface or a bulk property, or a combination of both. Extended defects, such as dislocation lines and changes in the oxygen vacancy concentration, are considered responsible for the conducting state, and local reduction/oxidation processes have been proposed to be responsible for the resistive switching. In addition, the role of dopants has not been discussed in depth. Here we report on an electric-field-controlled electron trapping/detrapping process involved in the resistive switching in Cr-doped SrTiO 3 . Electroluminescence (EL) measurements reveal that during resistive switching, light emission is observed only in the switching transition from high to low conductivity. The EL spectrum is typical for Cr 3+ in an octahedral ligand field, indicating that the switching process involves trapping/detrapping of electrons at the Cr site. With increasing conductivity of SrTiO 3 , we observe a change from the predominant 2 E → 4 A 2g (R-line) to the vibronically red-shifted 4 T 2 → 4 A 2g transition, which points to a modification of the Cr-occupied lattice sites.PACS 71.30.+h; 78.60.Fi; 73.40.Rw; 85.30.Tv
IntroductionThere has been increased interest in investigating various types of nonvolatile random access memories. Different concepts are being pursued to develop storage devices with higher areal densities and lower power consumption than those of standard flash memory. One approach is to use ferroelectric polarization in a FETlike arrangement to modulate the resistance in an adjacent conducting channel [1,2]. Simpler memory cells presently under intense investigation are based on the resistance change of a medium by means of current or voltage pulses, an effect observed in a large varu Fax: +41-1-724-8958, E-mail: alv@zurich.ibm.com iety of materials. In the so-called phasechange materials, based on chalcogenide compounds [3], the mechanism for establishing the "low" and "high" resistance states is well understood, whereas for binary or ternary oxides such as Perovskites, a clear picture has not yet emerged. Current-induced bistable resistance effects or voltagecontrolled negative resistance phenomena in compounds such as Nb 2 O 5 , TiO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 and NiO [4][5][6][7] and selected Perovskites exhibit strong similarities in current-voltage (I-V ) characteristics from the macroscopic down to the nanometer scale [8][9][10], suggesting that a common scheme may be applicable.Among the models proposed to explain the physical origin of the resistance changes in these materials, one finds modified interface properties [11][12][13], local inhomogeneities in the conduction path [14,15] and a phenomenological approach involving a nonperco...