Thermally Oxidized Memristor and 1T1R Integration for Selector Function and Low-Power Memory

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Solid-State Electronics

Background:

• Resistive switching memories are crucial for high-density integration and in-memory computing.
• Challenges include manufacturing complexity, high resistance state leakage, and sneak-path currents limiting scalability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a low-power, ultra-steep memristor using a mild-temperature thermal oxidation technique.
• To address scalability and manufacturing challenges in resistive switching memory.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Ag/TiOₓ/SnOₓ/SnSe₂/Au memristor architecture via mild-temperature thermal oxidation.
• Investigation of resistive switching characteristics, including threshold switching behavior and temperature-dependent transitions.
• Integration with 2H-MoTe₂ transistor using van der Waals stacking for 1T1R structure.

Main Results:

• Exceptional threshold switching with a ratio >10⁶, low threshold voltage (~1 V), and long retention (>10⁴ s).
• Ultra-small subthreshold swing (2.5 mV/decade) and high air-stability (>4 months).
• Demonstrated temperature-induced transition from volatile to nonvolatile switching, highlighting oxygen vacancy migration.

Conclusions:

• Mild-thermal oxidation is a viable technique for low-cost, high-performance memristor production.
• The developed memristor shows promise for future in-memory computing applications.
• The 1T1R structure enables selector functionality and multi-value memory with reduced power consumption.