Improvement of durability and switching speed by incorporating nanocrystals in the HfOx based resistive random access memory devices

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) has attracted significant interest for next-generation nonvolatile memory applications. However, it is somehow difficult to design a high speed RRAM device with enhanced data reliability. This paper deals with the improvement of high speed durable switching in nanocrystals based RRAM (NC-RRAM) devices. The high performance RRAM devices were prepared by incorporating the NCs into the HfOx oxide layer. As compared to the without (w/o) NC devices, the NC-RRAM devices are capable to execute uniform switching with higher set speed of 100 ns and reset speed of 150 ns, longer retention time and higher endurance of 108 cycles at 85 °C. The possible switching mechanism is due to the formation and rupture of the conductive filaments (CFs) inside the oxide film. The improvement of the NC-RRAM devices is due to the enhanced electric field intensity on the surface of the NCs, which can effectively facilitate the formation and rupture of the CFs.

[1]  Si-Chen Lee,et al.  Graphene/h-BN Heterostructures for Vertical Architecture of RRAM Design , 2017, Scientific Reports.

[2]  P Fons,et al.  Interfacial phase-change memory. , 2011, Nature nanotechnology.

[3]  F. Zeng,et al.  Recent progress in resistive random access memories: Materials, switching mechanisms, and performance , 2014 .

[4]  Shimeng Yu,et al.  Metal–Oxide RRAM , 2012, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[5]  Xu Qian,et al.  Atomic Layer Deposited Oxide-Based Nanocomposite Structures with Embedded CoPtx Nanocrystals for Resistive Random Access Memory Applications. , 2017, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[6]  John Robertson,et al.  The role of nitrogen doping in ALD Ta2O5 and its influence on multilevel cell switching in RRAM , 2017 .

[7]  H. Hwang,et al.  High current density and nonlinearity combination of selection device based on TaO(x)/TiO2/TaO(x) structure for one selector-one resistor arrays. , 2012, ACS nano.

[8]  Vincent Garcia,et al.  Ferroelectric tunnel junctions for information storage and processing , 2014, Nature Communications.

[9]  Yuchao Yang,et al.  Observation of conducting filament growth in nanoscale resistive memories , 2012, Nature Communications.

[10]  Hao Jiang,et al.  Interface engineering for improving reliability of resistance switching in Cu/HfO2/TiO2/Pt structure , 2015 .

[11]  M. Tsai,et al.  Silicon introduced effect on resistive switching characteristics of WOX thin films , 2012 .

[12]  Yue Bai,et al.  Low power W:AlOx/WOx bilayer resistive switching structure based on conductive filament formation and rupture mechanism , 2013 .

[13]  Qi Liu,et al.  Intrinsic anionic rearrangement by extrinsic control: transition of RS and CRS in thermally elevated TiN/HfO2/Pt RRAM. , 2017, Nanoscale.

[14]  Chun Chia Tan,et al.  Implementation of nitrogen-doped titanium-tungsten tunable heater in phase change random access memory and its effects on device performance , 2014 .

[15]  Hong Wang,et al.  Dissolvable and Biodegradable Resistive Switching Memory Based on Magnesium Oxide , 2016, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[16]  S. Menzel,et al.  Understanding the switching-off mechanism in Ag+ migration based resistively switching model systems , 2007 .

[17]  C. Wen,et al.  Low-power resistive random access memory by confining the formation of conducting filaments , 2016 .

[18]  Yichun Zhou,et al.  Resistive switching properties of Ce and Mn co-doped BiFeO3 thin films for nonvolatile memory application , 2013 .

[19]  Kate J. Norris,et al.  Electrical performance and scalability of Pt dispersed SiO2 nanometallic resistance switch. , 2013, Nano letters.

[20]  F. Chiu.  Electrical characterization and current transportation in metal∕Dy2O3∕Si structure , 2007 .

[21]  Isabelle Ferain,et al.  Multigate transistors as the future of classical metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors , 2011, Nature.

[22]  Qi Liu,et al.  Crystal that remembers: several ways to utilize nanocrystals in resistive switching memory , 2017 .

[23]  Wuhong Xue,et al.  Highly flexible resistive switching memory based on amorphous-nanocrystalline hafnium oxide films. , 2017, Nanoscale.

[24]  Fei Zeng,et al.  Oxygen migration induced resistive switching effect and its thermal stability in W/TaOx/Pt structure , 2012 .

[25]  X. T. Zhang,et al.  Performance improvement of resistive switching memory achieved by enhancing local-electric-field near electromigrated Ag-nanoclusters. , 2013, Nanoscale.

[26]  J Joshua Yang,et al.  Memristive devices for computing. , 2013, Nature nanotechnology.

[27]  F. Ma,et al.  Enhanced resistive switching characteristics in Al2O3 memory devices by embedded Ag nanoparticles , 2017, Nanotechnology.

[28]  Wei Wang,et al.  Improvement of Device Reliability by Introducing a BEOL-Compatible TiN Barrier Layer in CBRAM , 2017, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[29]  Daniele Ielmini,et al.  Resistive switching memories based on metal oxides: mechanisms, reliability and scaling , 2016 .

[30]  Hua Zhang,et al.  Non-volatile resistive memory devices based on solution-processed ultrathin two-dimensional nanomaterials. , 2015, Chemical Society reviews.

[31]  Diing Shenp Ang,et al.  Enhanced stability of complementary resistance switching in the TiN/HfOx/TiN resistive random access memory device via interface engineering , 2016 .

[32]  Samuel Greengard.  The future of semiconductors , 2017, Commun. ACM.

[33]  Kinam Kim,et al.  A fast, high-endurance and scalable non-volatile memory device made from asymmetric Ta2O(5-x)/TaO(2-x) bilayer structures. , 2011, Nature materials.

[34]  Ling Li,et al.  Full imitation of synaptic metaplasticity based on memristor devices. , 2018, Nanoscale.

[35]  Frederick T. Chen,et al.  Formation polarity dependent improved resistive switching memory characteristics using nanoscale (1.3 nm) core-shell IrOx nano-dots , 2012, Nanoscale Research Letters.

[36]  Qing Luo,et al.  Design of CMOS Compatible, High‐Speed, Highly‐Stable Complementary Switching with Multilevel Operation in 3D Vertically Stacked Novel HfO2/Al2O3/TiOx (HAT) RRAM , 2018 .

[37]  Lu You,et al.  Non-volatile memory based on the ferroelectric photovoltaic effect , 2013, Nature Communications.

[38]  Improved Resistive Switching Memory Characteristics Using Core-Shell IrOx Nano-Dots in Al2O3/WOx Bilayer Structure , 2011 .