Understanding the Resistive Switching Mechanism of 2-D RRAM: Monte Carlo Modeling and a Proposed Application for Reliability Research

The 2-D materials have become promising candidates for resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices as more unique resistive switching (RS) characteristics have recently been revealed. However, endurance is a major challenge for industrialization. Unlike the well-developed and recognized conductive filament (CF) model for oxide-based RRAM, the RS mechanism for 2-D RRAM is not well understood. In this article, we first review the dissociation–diffusion–adsorption (DDA) model and the cluster model proposed in previous works on monolayer 2-D RRAM devices. The use of a Monte Carlo (MC) simulator for multilayer 2-D RRAM devices to expand the application of DDA and cluster models is then discussed. A simulator was designed to provide an intuitive physical view by visualizing the stochastic behaviors of the RS process in multilayer 2-D RRAM devices. By comparing the simulated results with experimental data, the endurance characteristic was found to be mainly determined by the formation and collapse of an effective switching layer. We also found that the thickness of the effective switching layer is independent of the total thickness of the multilayer 2-D material and the initial status of the device, which is consistent with the experimental observations. The model and results discussed in this work provide additional insights and guidance for improving the reliability of 2-D RRAM devices.