TY - JOUR
T1 - Controllable Formation of Nanofilaments in Resistive Memories via Tip-Enhanced Electric Fields
AU - Shin, Keun Young
AU - Kim, Youngjin
AU - Antolinez, Felipe V.
AU - Ha, Jeong Sook
AU - Lee, Sang-Soo
AU - Park, Jong Hyuk
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Resistive random access memory (ReRAM) has a great potential to be the next-generation non-volatile memory device. However, the random nucleation and growth of conductive filaments (CFs) in ReRAM causes the low reliability in switching behaviors, leading to difficulties in its practical application. This study demonstrates that manipulating electric fields in ReRAM via a structured electrode can provide the controllable formation of CFs. Ag pyramids that have a high-quality tip prepared via the template-stripping method generate highly enhanced electric fields at the tip. Because the tip-enhanced electric fields can facilitate the ionization of Ag atoms and their migration along the electric fields, the nucleation and growth of CFs occurs predominantly at the tip. The CFs in ReRAM are directly observed using electron microscopy and it is confirmed that the CFs are formed only at the tip. The resulting ReRAM exhibits low and reliable SET/RESET voltages (0.48 V ± 0.02 V and 0.15 V ± 0.06 V, respectively). Moreover, its endurance and retention time are highly improved, compared to those devices that are based on conventional geometry. Thus, this approach can encourage creating high-performance ReRAM.
AB - Resistive random access memory (ReRAM) has a great potential to be the next-generation non-volatile memory device. However, the random nucleation and growth of conductive filaments (CFs) in ReRAM causes the low reliability in switching behaviors, leading to difficulties in its practical application. This study demonstrates that manipulating electric fields in ReRAM via a structured electrode can provide the controllable formation of CFs. Ag pyramids that have a high-quality tip prepared via the template-stripping method generate highly enhanced electric fields at the tip. Because the tip-enhanced electric fields can facilitate the ionization of Ag atoms and their migration along the electric fields, the nucleation and growth of CFs occurs predominantly at the tip. The CFs in ReRAM are directly observed using electron microscopy and it is confirmed that the CFs are formed only at the tip. The resulting ReRAM exhibits low and reliable SET/RESET voltages (0.48 V ± 0.02 V and 0.15 V ± 0.06 V, respectively). Moreover, its endurance and retention time are highly improved, compared to those devices that are based on conventional geometry. Thus, this approach can encourage creating high-performance ReRAM.
KW - Low operation voltage
KW - Nanofilaments
KW - Reliable switching
KW - Resistive memory
KW - Tip-enhanced electric fields
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U2 - 10.1002/aelm.201600233
DO - 10.1002/aelm.201600233
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84980357099
JO - Advanced Electronic Materials
JF - Advanced Electronic Materials
SN - 2199-160X
ER -