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Proton-based total-dose irradiation effects on Cu/HfO2:Cu/Pt ReRAM devices
Brian Butcher1, Xiaoli He, Mengbing Huang
1College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE), State University at Albany, Albany, NY 12203, USA.
Nanotechnology
|October 30, 2010
Summary
Proton irradiation significantly alters resistive-random-access-memory (ReRAM) device performance, changing operation voltages and resistance. However, devices show a remarkable super-recovery of electrical properties days after irradiation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Semiconductor Device Physics
- Radiation Effects
Background:
- Resistive-random-access-memory (ReRAM) devices offer promising non-volatile memory solutions.
- Understanding the impact of radiation on electronic components is crucial for reliable operation in harsh environments.
- Hafnium oxide (HfO2) is a widely used dielectric material in modern microelectronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of proton irradiation on the resistive switching characteristics of Copper-doped HfO2-based ReRAM devices.
- To analyze the dose-dependent variations and time-dependent recovery of device performance after irradiation.
- To elucidate the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for the observed electrical property changes.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Cu-doped HfO2-based ReRAM devices.
- Exposure of devices to proton irradiation at total doses of 1.5, 3, and 5 Giga-rad[Si].
- Electrical characterization (I-V measurements) performed immediately after irradiation and after a five-day recovery period.
Main Results:
- Proton irradiation induced significant, dose-dependent changes in ReRAM device operation voltages and resistance values.
- An almost linear enhancement of these effects was observed with increasing radiation dose.
- A notable time-dependent super-recovery of electrical properties, including reduced operation voltages and resistance, occurred five days post-irradiation.
Conclusions:
- Proton irradiation impacts the electron/hole trap density within HfO2, affecting metallic filament formation and rupture in ReRAM devices.
- The observed super-recovery phenomenon in ReRAM devices is analogous to that seen in CMOS gate oxides.
- These findings provide critical insights into the radiation hardness and reliability of HfO2-based ReRAM technology.
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