Transition-metal-oxide-based resistance-change memories

• Published in: IBM journal of research and development Vol. 52; no. 4.5; pp. 481 - 492
• Main Authors: Karg, S. F., Meijer, G. I., Bednorz, J. G., Rettner, C. T., Schrott, A. G., Joseph, E. A., Lam, C. H., Janousch, M., Staub, U., La Mattina, F., Alvarado, S. F., Widmer, D., Stutz, R., Drechsler, U., Caimi, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Armonk International Business Machines Corporation 01.07.2008
• Subjects: CMOS; Information storage; Spectrum analysis
• ISSN: 0018-8646; 0018-8646; 2151-8556
• DOI: 10.1147/rd.524.0481

We provide a status report on the development of perovskite-based transition-metal-oxide resistance-change memories. We focus on bipolar resistance switching observed in Cr-doped SrTiO^sub 3^ memory cells with dimensions ranging from bulk single crystals to CMOS integrated nanoscale devices. We also discuss electronic and ionic processes during electroforming and resistance switching, as evidenced from electron-parametric resonance (EPR), x-ray absorption spectroscopy, electroluminescence spectroscopy, thermal imaging, and transport experiments. EPR in combination with electroluminescence reveals electron trapping and detrapping processes at the Cr site. Results of x-ray absorption experiments prove that the microscopic origin of the electroforming, that is, the insulator-to-metal transition, is the creation of oxygen vacancies. Cr-doped SrTiO^sub 3^ memory cells exhibit short programming times (≤100 ns) and low programming currents (<100 µA) with up to 10^sup 5^ write and erase cycles. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]