scholarly journals Chemical Nature of Electrode and the Switching Response of RF-Sputtered NbOx Films

Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2164
Author(s):  
Jamal Aziz ◽  
Honggyun Kim ◽  
Shania Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Farooq Khan ◽  
Deok-kee Kim

In this study, the dominant role of the top electrode is presented for Nb2O5-based devices to demonstrate either the resistive switching or threshold characteristics. These Nb2O5-based devices may exhibit different characteristics depending on the selection of electrode. The use of the inert electrode (Au) initiates resistive switching characteristics in the Au/Nb2O5/Pt device. Alternatively, threshold characteristics are induced by using reactive electrodes (W and Nb). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirms the presence of oxide layers of WOy and NbOx at interfaces for W and Nb as top electrodes. However, no interface layer between the top electrode and active layer is detected in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for Au as the top electrode. Moreover, the dominant phase is Nb2O5 for Au and NbO2 for W and Nb. The threshold characteristics are attributed to the reduction of Nb2O5 phase to NbO2 due to the interfacial oxide layer formation between the reactive top electrode and Nb2O5. Additionally, reliability tests for both resistive switching and threshold characteristics are also performed to confirm switching stabilities.

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao ◽  
Li ◽  
Ai ◽  
Wen

A kind of devices Pt/Ag/ZnO:Li/Pt/Ti with high resistive switching behaviors were prepared on a SiO2/Si substrate by using magnetron sputtering method and mask technology, composed of a bottom electrode (BE) of Pt/Ti, a resistive switching layer of ZnO:Li thin film and a top electrode (TE) of Pt/Ag. To determine the crystal lattice structure and the Li-doped concentration in the resulted ZnO thin films, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) tests were carried out. Resistive switching behaviors of the devices with different thicknesses of Li-doped ZnO thin films were studied at different set and reset voltages based on analog and digital resistive switching characteristics. At room temperature, the fabricated devices represent stable bipolar resistive switching behaviors with a low set voltage, a high switching current ratio and a long retention up to 104 s. In addition, the device can sustain an excellent endurance more than 103 cycles at an applied pulse voltage. The mechanism on how the thicknesses of the Li-doped ZnO thin films affect the resistive switching behaviors was investigated by installing conduction mechanism models. This study provides a new strategy for fabricating the resistive random access memory (ReRAM) device used in practice.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1337 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Gorji Ghalamestani ◽  
L. Goux ◽  
D.E. Díaz-Droguett ◽  
D. Wouters ◽  
J. G. Lisoni

ABSTRACTWe investigated the resistive switching behavior of WOx films. WOx was obtained from the thermal oxidation of W thin layers. The parameters under investigation were the influence of the temperature (450-500 °C) and time (30-220 s) used to obtain the WOx on the resistive switching characteristics of Si\W\WOx\Metal_electrode ReRAM cells. The metal top electrodes (TE) tested were Pt, Ni, Cu and Au. The elemental composition and microstructure of the samples were characterized by means of elastic recoil detection analysis (ERD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR).Electrical measurement of the WOx-based memory elements revealed bipolar and unipolar switching and this depended upon the oxidation conditions and TE selected. Indeed, switching events were observed in WOx samples obtained either at 450 °C or 500 °C in time windows of 180-200 s and 30-60 s, respectively. Pt and Au TE promoted bipolar switching while unipolar behavior was observed with Ni TE only; no switching events were observed with Cu TE. Good switching characteristics seems not related to the overall thickness, crystallinity and composition of the oxide, but on the W6+/W5+ ratio present on the WOx surface, surface in contact with the TE material. Interestingly, W6+/W5+ ratio can be tuned through the oxidation conditions, showing a path for optimizing the properties of the WOx-based ReRAM cells.


Electronics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1466
Author(s):  
Chiao-Fan Chiu ◽  
Sreekanth Ginnaram ◽  
Asim Senapati ◽  
Yi-Pin Chen ◽  
Siddheswar Maikap

Resistive switching characteristics by using the Al2O3 interfacial layer in an Al/Cu/GdOx/Al2O3/TiN memristor have been enhanced as compared to the Al/Cu/GdOx/TiN structure owing to the insertion of Al2O3 layer for the first time. Polycrystalline grain, chemical composition, and surface roughness of defective GdOx film have been investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). For bipolar resistive switching (BRS) characteristics, the conduction mechanism of high resistance state (HRS) is a space-charge limited current for the Al/Cu/GdOx/TiN device while the Al/Cu/GdOx/Al2O3/TiN device shows Schottky emission. However, both devices show Ohmic at a low resistance state (LRS). After the device has been SET, the Cu filament evidences by both TEM and elemental mapping. Oxygen-rich at the Cu/GdOx interface and Al2O3 layer are confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) line profile. The Al/Cu/GdOx/Al2O3/TiN memristor has lower RESET current, higher speed operation of 100 ns, long read pulse endurance of >109 cycles, good data retention, and the memristor with a large resistance ratio of >105 is operated at a low current of 1.5 µA. The complementary resistive switching (CRS) characteristics of the Al/Cu/GdOx/Al2O3/TiN memristor show also a low current operation as compared to the Al/Cu/GdOx/TiN device (300 µA vs. 3.1 mA). The transport mechanism is the Cu ion migration and it shows Ohmic at low field and hopping at high field regions. A larger hopping distance of 1.82 nm at the Cu/GdOx interface is obtained as compared to a hopping distance of 1.14 nm in the Al2O3 layer owing to a larger Cu filament length at the Cu/GdOx interface than the Al2O3 layer. Similarly, the CRS mechanism is explained by using the schematic model. The CRS characteristics show a stable state with long endurance of >1000 cycles at a pulse width of 1 µs owing to the insertion of Al2O3 interfacial layer in the Al/Cu/GdOx/Al2O3/TiN structure.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1081
Author(s):  
Shin-Yi Min ◽  
Won-Ju Cho

In this study, we implemented a high-performance two-terminal memristor device with a metal/insulator/metal (MIM) structure using a solution-derived In-Ga-Zn-Oxide (IGZO)-based nanocomposite as a resistive switching (RS) layer. In order to secure stable memristive switching characteristics, IGZO:N nanocomposites were synthesized through the microwave-assisted nitridation of solution-derived IGZO thin films, and the resulting improvement in synaptic characteristics was systematically evaluated. The microwave-assisted nitridation of solution-derived IGZO films was clearly demonstrated by chemical etching, optical absorption coefficient analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Two types of memristor devices were prepared using an IGZO or an IGZO:N nanocomposite film as an RS layer. As a result, the IGZO:N memristors showed excellent endurance and resistance distribution in the 103 repeated cycling tests, while the IGZO memristors showed poor characteristics. Furthermore, in terms of electrical synaptic operation, the IGZO:N memristors possessed a highly stable nonvolatile multi-level resistance controllability and yielded better electric pulse-induced conductance modulation in 5 × 102 stimulation pulses. These findings demonstrate that the microwave annealing process is an effective synthesis strategy for the incorporation of chemical species into the nanocomposite framework, and that the microwave-assisted nitridation improves the memristive switching characteristics in the oxide-based RS layer.


1999 ◽  
Vol 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masayuki Suzuki ◽  
Yoji Saito

ABSTRACTWe tried direct oxynitridation of silicon surfaces by remote-plasma-exited nitrogen and oxygen gaseous mixtures at 700°C in a high vacuum. The oxynitrided surfaces were investigated with in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. With increase of the oxynitridation time, the surface density of nitrogen gradually increases, but that of oxygen shows nearly saturation behavior after the rapid increase in the initial stage. We also annealed the grown oxynitride and oxide films to investigate the role of the contained nitrogen. The desorption rate of oxygen from the oxynitride films is much less than that from oxide films. We confirmed that nitrogen stabilizes the thermal stability of these oxynitride films.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 657-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Varnagiris ◽  
S Tuckute ◽  
M Lelis ◽  
D Milcius

Currently, polymeric insulation materials are widely used for energy saving in buildings. Despite of all benefits, these materials are generally sensitive to heat and highly flammable. This work discusses possibility to improve heat resistance of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam using thin silicon dioxide (SiO2) films deposited by magnetron sputtering technique. In order to increase surface energy and adherence of SiO2 thin films to substrate EPS was plasma pretreated before films’ depositions using pulsed DC plasma generator for 40 s in argon gas. SiO2 formation was done in reactive argon and oxygen gas atmosphere. Laboratory made equipment was used for flame torch–induced heat resistance experiments. Results showed that silicon oxide films remains stable during heat resistance experiments up to 5 s and fully protects polystyrene (PS) substrate. Films are relatively stable for 30 s and 60 s and partially protect PS from melting and ignition. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed that SiO2 layer, which is distributed uniformly on the EPS surface, could work as a good heat resistant material.


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