Observation of Resistive Switching Memory by Reducing Device Size in a New Cr/CrO x /TiO x /TiN Structure

Debanjan Jana; Subhranu Samanta; Sourav Roy; Yu Feng Lin; Siddheswar Maikap

doi:10.1007/s40820-015-0055-3

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 4 (2015)

Issue Published : Oct 1, 2015

Observation of Resistive Switching Memory by Reducing Device Size in a New Cr/CrO x /TiO x /TiN Structure

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-015-0055-3

Debanjan Jana

Thin Film Nano Tech. Lab., Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Rd., Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan, ROC

Subhranu Samanta

Thin Film Nano Tech. Lab., Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Rd., Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan, ROC

Sourav Roy

Thin Film Nano Tech. Lab., Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Rd., Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan, ROC

Yu Feng Lin

Thin Film Nano Tech. Lab., Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Rd., Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan, ROC

Siddheswar Maikap

Thin Film Nano Tech. Lab., Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, 259 Wen-Hwa 1st Rd., Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan 333, Taiwan, ROC

Corresponding Author: Siddheswar Maikap

sidhu@mail.cgu.edu.tw

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 7 No. 4 (2015), Article Number: 392-399
Article Published : Aug 1, 2015

Abstract

The resistive switching memory characteristics of 100 randomly measured devices were observed by reducing device size in a Cr/CrO_x/TiO_x/TiN structure for the first time. Transmission electron microscope image confirmed a via-hole size of 0.4 µm. A 3-nm-thick amorphous TiO_x with 4-nm-thick polycrystalline CrO_x layer was observed. A small 0.4-µm device shows reversible resistive switching at a current compliance of 300 µA as compared to other larger size devices (1–8 µm) owing to reduction of leakage current through the TiO_x layer. Good device-to-device uniformity with a yield of >85 % has been clarified by weibull distribution owing to higher slope/shape factor. The switching mechanism is based on oxygen vacancy migration from the CrO_x layer and filament formation/rupture in the TiO_x layer. Long read pulse endurance of >10⁵ cycles, good data retention of 6 h, and a program/erase speed of 1 µs pulse width have been obtained.

Keywords

CrOx TiOx Resistive switching memory Slope/shape factor Device size

Jana, Debanjan, Subhranu Samanta, Sourav Roy, Yu Feng Lin, and Siddheswar Maikap. 2015. “Observation of Resistive Switching Memory by Reducing Device Size in a New Cr/CrO X /TiO X /TiN Structure”. Nano-Micro Letters 7 (4):392-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-015-0055-3.

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References

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K. Kamiya, M.Y. Yang, S.G. Park, B.M. Kope, Y. Nishi, M. Niwa, K. Shiraishi, ON–OFF switching mechanism of resistive-random-access-memories based on the formation and disruption of oxygen conducting channels. Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 073502 (2012). doi:10.1063/1.3685222
S. Roy, S. Maikap, G. Sreekanth, M. Dutta, D. Jana, Y.Y. Chen, J.R. Yang, Improved resistive switching phenomena and mechanism using Cu–Al alloy in a new Cu:AlO x /TaO x /TiN structure. J. Alloy. Compd. 637, 517–523 (2015). doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.02.168
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References

F. Pan, S. Gao, C. Chen, S. Song, F. Zeng, Recent progress in resistive random access memories: materials, switching mechanisms, and performance. Mater. Sci. Eng. R 83, 1–59 (2014). doi:10.1016/j.mser.2014.06.002

K. Terabe, T. Hasegawa, T. Nakayama, M. Aono, Quantized conductance atomic switch. Nature 433, 47–50 (2005). doi:10.1038/nature03190

R. Waser, M. Aono, Nanoionics-based resistive switching memories. Nat. Mater. 6, 833–840 (2007). doi:10.1038/nmat2023

B. Govoreanu, G.S. Kar, Y-Y. Chen, V. Paraschiv, S. Kubicek, et al., 10 × 10 nm2 Hf/HfO x crossbar resistive RAM with excellent performance, reliability and low-energy operation. Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), 31.6.1–31.6.4. (2011). doi:10.1109/IEDM.2011.6131652

M.-J. Lee, C.B. Lee, D. Lee, S.R. Lee, M. Chang et al., A fast, high-endurance and scalable non-volatile memory device made from asymmetric Ta2O5−x /TaO2−x bilayer structures. Nat. Mater. 10, 625–630 (2011). doi:10.1038/nmat3070

A. Prakash, D. Jana, S. Maikap, TaOx–based resistive switching memories: prospective and challenges. Nanoscale Res. Lett. 8, 418 (2013). doi:10.1186/1556-276X-8-418

B.J. Choi, D.S. Jeong, S.K. Kim, C. Rohde, S. Choi et al., Resistive switching mechanism of TiO2 thin films grown by atomic-layer deposition. J. Appl. Phys. 98, 033715 (2005). doi:10.1063/1.2001146

J.J. Yang, M.D. Pickett, X. Li, D.A.A. Ohlberg, D.R. Stewart, R.S. Williams, Memristive switching mechanism for metal/oxide/metal nanodevices. Nat. Nanotechnol. 3, 429–433 (2008). doi:10.1038/nnano.2008.160

C. Hermes, R. Bruchhaus, R. Waser, Forming-free TiO2-based resistive switching devices on CMOS-compatible W-plugs. IEEE Electron Device Lett. 32(11), 1588–1590 (2011). doi:10.1109/LED.2011.2166371

L. Qingjiang, A. Khiat, L. Salaoru, C. Papavassiliou, X. Hui, T. Prodomakis, Memory impedance in TiO2 based metal-insulator-metal devices. Sci. Rep.-UK 4, 4522 (2014). doi:10.1038/srep04522

L. Li, Y. Zhang, Z. Chew, A Cu/ZnO nanowire/Cu resistive switching device. Nano-Micro Lett. 5(3), 159–162 (2013). doi:10.1007/BF03353745

B. Sun, Y. Liu, W. Zhao, J. Wu, P. Chen, Hydrothermal preparation and white-light controlled resistive switching behavior of BaWO4 nanospheres. Nano-Micro Lett. 7(1), 80–85 (2014). doi:10.1007/s40820-014-0021-5

B. Prasai, B. Sai, M.K. Underwood, J.P. Lewis, D.A. Drabold, Properties of amorphous and crystalline titanium dioxide from first principles. J. Mater. Sci. 47(21), 7515–7521 (2012). doi:10.1007/s10853-012-6439-6

D.-H. Kwon, K.M. Kim, J.H. Jang, J.M. Jeon, M.H. Lee et al., Atomic structure of conducting nanofilaments in TiO2 resistive switching memory. Nat. Nanotechnol. 5, 148–153 (2010). doi:10.1038/nnano.2009.456

H.Y. Jeong, J.Y. Lee, S.Y. Choi, Interface-engineered amorphous TiO2-based resistive memory devices. Adv. Funct. Mater. 20, 3912–3917 (2010). doi:10.1002/adfm.201001254

J. Park, M. Jo, S. Jung, J. Lee, W. Lee, S. Kim, S. Park, J. Shin, H. Hwang, New set/reset scheme for excellent uniformity in bipolar resistive memory. IEEE Electron Device Lett. 32(3), 228–230 (2011). doi:10.1109/LED.2010.2094599

E. Goren, M. Ungureanu, R. Zazpe, M. Rozenberg, L.E. Hueso, P. Stoliar, Y. Tsur, F. Casanova, Resistive switching phenomena in TiO x nanoparticle layers for memory applications. Appl. Phys. Lett. 105, 143506 (2014). doi:10.1063/1.4897142

B. Zeng, D. Xu, M. Tang, Y. Xiao, Y. Zhou, R. Xiong, Z. Li, Y. Zhou, Improvement of resistive switching performance via an amorphous ZrO2 layer formation in TiO2-based forming-free resistive random access memory. J. Appl. Phys. 116, 124514 (2014). doi:10.1063/1.4896402

J.P. Strachan, M.D. Pickett, J.J. Yang, S. Aloni, A.L.D. Kilcoyne, G.M. Ribeiro, R.S. Williams, Direct identification of the conducting channels in a functioning memristive device. Adv. Mater. 22, 3573–3577 (2010). doi:10.1002/adma.201000186

W.Y. Chang, H.W. Huang, W.T. Wang, C.H. Hou, Y.L. Chueh, J.R. He, High uniformity of resistive switching characteristics in a Cr/ZnO/Pt device. J. Electrochem. Soc. 159, G29–G32 (2012). doi:10.1149/2.092203jes

N.R. Mann, R.E. Schafer, N.D. Singpurwalla, Methods for Statistical Analysis of Reliability and Life Data (Wiley publishers, New York, 1974)

K. Kamiya, M.Y. Yang, S.G. Park, B.M. Kope, Y. Nishi, M. Niwa, K. Shiraishi, ON–OFF switching mechanism of resistive-random-access-memories based on the formation and disruption of oxygen conducting channels. Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 073502 (2012). doi:10.1063/1.3685222

S. Roy, S. Maikap, G. Sreekanth, M. Dutta, D. Jana, Y.Y. Chen, J.R. Yang, Improved resistive switching phenomena and mechanism using Cu–Al alloy in a new Cu:AlO x /TaO x /TiN structure. J. Alloy. Compd. 637, 517–523 (2015). doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2015.02.168

H.H. Pham, L.W. Wang, Oxygen vacancy and hole conduction in amorphous TiO2. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 17, 541 (2015). doi:10.1039/C4CP04209C

W. Shen, R. Dittmann, U. Breuer, R. Waser, Improved endurance behavior of resistive switching in (Ba, Sr)TiO3 thin films with W top electrode. Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 222102 (2008). doi:10.1063/1.3039809