Stability and its mechanism in Ag/CoO_x/Ag interface-type resistive switching device

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid-State Physics
• Device Engineering

Background:

• Device stability is critical for resistive switching (RS) applications.
• Interface properties significantly influence RS device performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate endurance and retention in Ag/CoO_x/Ag interface-type RS devices.
• Analyze the impact of interface states on device stability and switching characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and characterization of Ag/CoO_x/Ag interface-type RS devices.
• Evaluation of electrical properties including I-V curves, endurance, and retention.
• Analysis of retention decay mechanisms related to interface states.

Main Results:

• The device demonstrated multilevel storage states and rectifying behavior attributed to the Schottky barrier.
• Achieved thousands of switching cycles without endurance failure and narrow resistance distributions.
• Observed spontaneous decay of high and low resistance states to an intermediate state due to short-lived metastable pinning (τ = 0.5 s).

Conclusions:

• Retention decay is linked to the short lifetime of interface state-induced metastable pinning.
• Interface state energy level depth and density dictate retention stability and switching ratio.
• Tailoring the interface structure is crucial for enhancing the stability of interface-type RS devices.