Memristive Switching and Density-Functional Theory Calculations in Double Nitride Insulating Layers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• Single-layer devices (Ni/SiN/p⁺-Si, Ni/BN/p⁺-Si) exhibit limitations in performance metrics.
• Understanding interfacial effects in multilayer structures is crucial for advanced electronic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a novel Ni/SiN/BN/p⁺-Si device with enhanced performance.
• To elucidate the switching mechanism and the role of interfacial properties.
• To investigate the benefits of bilayer structures for memory applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a Ni/SiN/BN/p⁺-Si device.
• Performance characterization including ON/OFF ratio, stability, and power consumption.
• Theoretical investigation of interface charge dynamics and defect creation.

Main Results:

• The Ni/SiN/BN/p⁺-Si device shows improved ON/OFF ratio, stability, and low power consumption compared to single-layer devices.
• The switching mechanism is attributed to trapping and de-trapping via nitride-related vacancies.
• Higher nonlinearity and rectification ratio in the bilayer device enhance read margin in cross-point arrays.
• Theoretical analysis reveals interface charge accumulation/depletion in SiN/BN layers contributes to defect creation and improved switching.

Conclusions:

• The bilayer Ni/SiN/BN/p⁺-Si structure offers significant performance advantages over single-layer counterparts.
• Understanding interfacial phenomena is key to optimizing device characteristics.
• This bilayer structure holds promise for advanced memory applications requiring large read margins.