scholarly journals Neuromorphic Dynamics at the Nanoscale in Silicon Suboxide RRAM

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Buckwell ◽  
Wing H. Ng ◽  
Daniel J. Mannion ◽  
Horatio R. J. Cox ◽  
Stephen Hudziak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Power ◽  
Random Access ◽  
Constant Current ◽  
Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Conductivity Enhancement ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Silicon Suboxide ◽  
Power Operation

Resistive random-access memories, also known as memristors, whose resistance can be modulated by the electrically driven formation and disruption of conductive filaments within an insulator, are promising candidates for neuromorphic applications due to their scalability, low-power operation and diverse functional behaviors. However, understanding the dynamics of individual filaments, and the surrounding material, is challenging, owing to the typically very large cross-sectional areas of test devices relative to the nanometer scale of individual filaments. In the present work, conductive atomic force microscopy is used to study the evolution of conductivity at the nanoscale in a fully CMOS-compatible silicon suboxide thin film. Distinct filamentary plasticity and background conductivity enhancement are reported, suggesting that device behavior might be best described by composite core (filament) and shell (background conductivity) dynamics. Furthermore, constant current measurements demonstrate an interplay between filament formation and rupture, resulting in current-controlled voltage spiking in nanoscale regions, with an estimated optimal energy consumption of 25 attojoules per spike. This is very promising for extremely low-power neuromorphic computation and suggests that the dynamic behavior observed in larger devices should persist and improve as dimensions are scaled down.

Low power ovonic threshold switching characteristics of thin GeTe6 films using conductive atomic force microscopy

2014 ◽  
Vol 105 (24) ◽  
pp. 243501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anbarasu Manivannan ◽  
Santosh Kumar Myana ◽  
Kumaraswamy Miriyala ◽  
Smriti Sahu ◽  
Ranjith Ramadurai
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Low Power ◽  
Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Threshold Switching ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Switching Characteristics

Correlation between Controllability of Reset Current and Electrostatic Energy Released from the Self Capacitance of Conducting Bridge Random Access Memory

2012 ◽  
Vol 1430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kentaro Kinoshita ◽  
Shigeyuki Tsuruta ◽  
Sho Hasegawa ◽  
Takahiro Fukuhara ◽  
Satoru Kishida
Keyword(s):  
Random Access ◽  
Liquid Nitrogen Temperature ◽  
Electrostatic Energy ◽  
Universal Relation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Current Compliance ◽  
And Migration ◽  
Conducting Bridge

ABSTRACTPhysical properties of filaments in Cu/HfO2/Pt conducting-bridge memory (CB-RAM) were investigated basing on direct observation by conducting atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), R-T characteristics until liquid nitrogen temperature, and I-V characteristics both in air and in vacuum. As a result, physical picture of filaments in Cu/HfO2/Pt structures was revealed. Filaments consist of Cu containing large residual resistance and the cross-sectional area of the filament, Sfila, was roughly proportional to set voltage, Vset, even when current compliance was kept constant. Interestingly, resistivities of filaments are same among all the filaments in different samples and are invariant even after repetitive switching that changes resistance of the filaments. Cu/HfO2/Pt obeyed the universal relation that reset current, Ireset, is proportional to the inverse of resistance in a low resistance state, 1/RLRS, which is known to be applicable to oxygen-migration-based resistive switching memories such as Pt/NiO/Pt. Considering the invariance of resistivity of the filament, this suggests the fact that Ireset is decided dominantly by Sfila. In addition, it was suggested that moisture is necessary for dissolution and migration of Cu to form filaments.

Fault Isolation of MOL and FEOL Buried Defects Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy as a Complement to Passive Voltage Contrast Imaging

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucile C. Teague Sheridan ◽  
Linda Conohan ◽  
Chong Khiam Oh
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Cmos Technology ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Contrast Imaging ◽  
Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Isolation Technique ◽  
Conductive Afm ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Voltage Contrast

Abstract Atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods have provided a wealth of knowledge into the topographic, electrical, mechanical, magnetic, and electrochemical properties of surfaces and materials at the micro- and nanoscale over the last several decades. More specifically, the application of conductive AFM (CAFM) techniques for failure analysis can provide a simultaneous view of the conductivity and topographic properties of the patterned features. As CMOS technology progresses to smaller and smaller devices, the benefits of CAFM techniques have become apparent [1-3]. Herein, we review several cases in which CAFM has been utilized as a fault-isolation technique to detect middle of line (MOL) and front end of line (FEOL) buried defects in 20nm technologies and beyond.

Fault Localization in Contact Level by Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon C. Lee ◽  
J. H. Chuang
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Fault Localization ◽  
Electrical Characterization ◽  
Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Optical Electron ◽  
Defect Isolation ◽  
Voltage Contrast

Abstract As integrated circuits (IC) have become more complicated with device features shrinking into the deep sub-micron range, so the challenge of defect isolation has become more difficult. Many failure analysis (FA) techniques using optical/electron beam and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) have been developed to improve the capability of defect isolation. SPM provides topographic imaging coupled with a variety of material characterization information such as thermal, magnetic, electric, capacitance, resistance and current with nano-meter scale resolution. Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) has been widely used for electrical characterization of dielectric film and gate oxide integrity (GOI). In this work, C-AFM has been successfully employed to isolate defects in the contact level and to discriminate various contact types. The current mapping of C-AFM has the potential to identify micro-leaky contacts better than voltage contrast (VC) imaging in SEM. It also provides I/V information that is helpful to diagnose the failure mechanism by comparing I/V curves of different contact types. C-AFM is able to localize faulty contacts with pico-amp current range and to characterize failure with nano-meter scale lateral resolution. C-AFM should become an important technique for IC fault localization. FA examples of this technique will be discussed in the article.

Application of Conductive-AFM in Soft Failure Analysis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan Zhang ◽  
Yinzhe Ma ◽  
Gregory Dabney ◽  
Oh Chong Khiam ◽  
Esther P.Y. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Failure Analysis ◽  
Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Test Parameter ◽  
Conductive Afm ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
Soft Failure ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Test Conditions ◽  
Sensitive Characteristics

Abstract Soft failures are among the most challenging yield detractors. They typically show test parameter sensitive characteristics, which would pass under certain test conditions but fail under other conditions. Conductive-atomic force microscopy (CAFM) emerged as an ideal solution for soft failure analysis that can balance the time and thoroughness. By inserting CAFM into the soft failure analysis flow, success rate of such type of analysis can be significantly enhanced. In this paper, a logic chain soft failure and a SRAM local bitline soft failure are used as examples to illustrate how this failure analysis methodology provides a powerful and efficient solution for soft failure analysis.

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