Sol-gel-processed amorphous-phase ZrO₂ based resistive random access memory

Abstract

Abstract In this study, sol–gel-processed amorphous-phase ZrO 2 was used as an active channel material to improve the resistive switching properties of resistive random access memories (RRAMs). ITO/ZrO 2 /Ag RRAM devices exhibit the properties of bipolar RRAMs. The effect of the post-annealing temperature on the electrical properties of the ZrO 2 RRAM was investigated. Unlike the ZrO 2 films annealed at 400 and 500 °C, those annealed at 300 °C were in amorphous phase. The RRAM based on the amorphous-phase ZrO 2 exhibited an improved high-resistance state (HRS) to low-resistance state ratio (over 10 6 ) as well as promising retention and endurance characteristics without deterioration. Furthermore, its disordered nature, which causes efficient carrier scattering, resulted in low carrier mobility and the lowest leakage current, influencing the HRS values.