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Title: Realization of a reversible switching in TaO{sub 2} polymorphs via Peierls distortion for resistance random access memory

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4913904· OSTI ID:22412749
;  [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China)
  2. Center for Integrated Computational Materials Engineering, International Research Institute for Multidisciplinary Science, Beihang University, Beijing 100191 (China)

Transition-metal-oxide based resistance random access memory (RRAM) is a promising candidate for next-generation universal non-volatile memories. Searching and designing appropriate materials used in the memories becomes an urgent task. Here, a structure with the TaO{sub 2} formula was predicted using evolutionary algorithms in combination with first-principles calculations. This triclinic structure (T-TaO{sub 2}) is both energetically and dynamically more favorable than the commonly believed rutile structure (R-TaO{sub 2}). The metal-insulator transition (MIT) between metallic R-TaO{sub 2} and T-TaO{sub 2} (band gap: 1.0 eV) is via a Peierls distortion, which makes TaO{sub 2} a potential candidate for RRAM. The energy barrier for the reversible phase transition is 0.19 eV/atom and 0.23 eV/atom, respectively, suggesting low power consumption for the resistance switch. The present findings about the MIT as the resistance-switch mechanism in Ta-O system will stimulate experimental work to fabricate tantalum oxides based RRAM.

OSTI ID:
22412749
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 9; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English