Formation of the Conducting Filament in TaOx-Resistive Switching Devices by Thermal-Gradient-Induced Cation Accumulation

Ma, Yuanzhi; Li, Dasheng; Herzing, Andrew A.; Cullen, David A.; Sneed, Brian T.; More, Karren L.; Nuhfer, N. T.; Bain, James A.; Skowronski, Marek

doi:10.1021/acsami.8b03726

Formation of the Conducting Filament in TaO_x-Resistive Switching Devices by Thermal-Gradient-Induced Cation Accumulation

Journal Article · Mon Jun 18 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b03726· OSTI ID:1460170

^[1]; Li, Dasheng ^[1]; Herzing, Andrew A. ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[3]; ^[3]; Nuhfer, N. T. ^[1]; Bain, James A. ^[4]; ^[1]

Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Here, the distribution of tantalum and oxygen ions in electroformed and/or switched TaO_x-based resistive switching devices has been assessed by high-angle annular dark-field microscopy, X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. The experiments have been performed in the plan-view geometry on the cross-bar devices producing elemental distribution maps in the direction perpendicular to the electric field. The maps revealed an accumulation of +20% Ta in the inner part of the filament with a 3.5% Ta-depleted ring around it. The diameter of the entire structure was approximately 100 nm. The distribution of oxygen was uniform with changes, if any, below the detection limit of 5%. We interpret the elemental segregation as due to diffusion driven by the temperature gradient, which in turn is induced by the spontaneous current constriction associated with the negative differential resistance-type I–V characteristics of the as-fabricated metal/oxide/metal structures. A finite-element model was used to evaluate the distribution of temperature in the devices and correlated with the elemental maps. In addition, a fine-scale (~5 nm) intensity contrast was observed within the filament and interpreted as due phase separation of the functional oxide in the two-phase composition region. Understanding the temperature-gradient-induced phenomena is central to the engineering of oxide memory cells.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA); National Science Foundation (NSF); Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC), Durham, NC (United States). Microelectronics Advanced Research Corp. (MARCO); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Scientific User Facilities Division

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1460170

Journal Information:: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 27 Vol. 10; ISSN 1944-8244

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
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