Resistive Switching in α-In₂Se₃ Lateral Field-Effect Transistors

Ferroelectric semiconducting field-effect transistors (FeS-FETs) based on two-dimensional materials exhibit nonvolatile resistive switching, making them promising candidates for next-generation memory and neuromorphic computing. However, the mechanisms governing resistive switching in α-In₂Se₃ lateral devices remain unresolved, particularly regarding the relative contributions of channel and contact resistance. In this study, Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was employed to spatially resolve the gate-poling-dependent contact and channel resistances in α-In₂Se₃ FeS-FETs, while scanning photocurrent microscopy (SPCM) was used to quantify changes in effective Schottky barrier height at the metal contacts. Both contact and channel resistances were found to increase (decrease) with positive (negative) poling, with the contact resistance modulation correlating with changes in Schottky barrier height. Control experiments on as-exfoliated multidomain flakes confirmed that spontaneous polarization influences both channel and contact resistances. However, typical clockwise resistive switching characteristics can be observed even in the absence of detectable ferroelectric polarization switching. Furthermore, typical gate-poling conditions lead to the formation of stacking defects observed by ex situ high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). The observed defects can impede domain wall motion, providing a rationale for the lack of an abrupt switching threshold and a possible mechanism of coupling in-plane fields to out-of-plane polarization. We conclude that resistive switching in α-In₂Se₃ lateral channel devices is often influenced by both reversible polarization switching and irreversible defect formation, highlighting the need for improved domain wall control and defect mitigation strategies to enhance FeS-FET performance for reliable memory applications.