Resistive switching in silicon suboxide films

in Papers of Interest (silicon oxide memristors):

Format: Journal Abstract
Title: “Resistive switching in silicon suboxide films”
Authors: Adnan Mehonic, Maciej Wojdak, Stephen Hudziak, and Anthony J. Kenyon (all of Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, London, UK) , Sébastien Cueff, Christophe Labbé, and Richard Rizk (all of CIMAP, France), Blas Garrido and Olivier Jambois ( both of MIND-IN2UB, Department Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain)
Source: Journal of Applied Physics / Volume 111 / Issue 7
Publication Date: 6 April 2012
(c) Attribution: © 2012 American Institute of Physics

Synopsis: “[…] a study of resistive switching in a silicon-based memristor/resistive RAM (RRAM) device in which the active layer is silicon-rich silica. The resistive switching phenomenon is an intrinsic property of the silicon-rich oxide layer and does not depend on the diffusion of metallic ions to form conductive paths. In contrast to other work in the literature, switching occurs in ambient conditions, and is not limited to the surface of the active material. We propose a switching mechanism driven by competing field-driven formation and current-driven destruction of filamentary conductive pathways. […] conduction is dominated by trap assisted tunneling through noncontinuous conduction paths consisting of silicon nanoinclusions in a highly nonstoichiometric suboxide phase. We hypothesize that such nanoinclusions nucleate preferentially at internal grain boundaries in nanostructured films. Switching exhibits the pinched hysteresis I/V loop characteristic of memristive systems, and on/off resistance ratios of 104:1 or higher can be easily achieved. Scanning tunneling microscopy suggests that switchable conductive pathways are 10 nm in diameter or smaller. Programming currents can be as low as 2 μA, and transition times are on the nanosecond scale.”

Full Abstract at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3701581.