Resistive switching characteristics and mechanisms of Pt-embedded SrZrO3 memory devices

Abstract

The effects of embedded Pt (E-Pt) metal layer on the resistive switching characteristics and mechanisms of SrZrO3 (SZO) memory devices are investigated in this study. The E-Pt is shown by transmission electron microscopy observation to thermally diffuse into SZO thin film to form E-Pt clusters and no chemical reaction occurs between Pt and SZO during 600 °C postannealing process. The carrier transport of high resistance state current of 600 °C E-Pt devices is dominated by Ohmic conduction and Frenkel–Poole (F–P) emission in the low- and high-voltage region, respectively, which is quite different from that of without E-Pt memory devices being principally dominated by F–P emission. Furthermore, the forming voltage and turn-on voltage of E-Pt devices are significantly lowered to −3.5 V and |2.3| V, respectively, due to the reduction in effective thickness of SZO thin films caused by E-Pt clusters formed, which benefit the future development of resistive random access memory devices in practical application.