An oxide-based resistance memory is a leading candidate to replace Si-based flash memory as it meets the emerging specifications for future memory devices. The non-uniformity in the key switching parameters and low endurance in conventional resistance memory devices are preventing its practical application. Here, a novel strategy to overcome the aforementioned challenges has been unveiled by tuning the growth direction of epitaxial brownmillerite SrFeO thin films along the SrTiO [111] direction so that the oxygen vacancy channels can connect both the top and bottom electrodes rather directly. The controlled oxygen vacancy channels help reduce the randomness of the conducting filament (CF). The resulting device displayed high endurance over 10 cycles, and a short switching time of ∼10 ns. In addition, the device showed very high uniformity in the key switching parameters for device-to-device and within a device. This work demonstrates a feasible example for improving the nanoscale device performance by controlling the atomic structure of a functional oxide layer.

Nanocrystalline calcium titanate (CT) ceramic has been synthesized by a combination of solid-state reaction and high-energy ball milling. This nano-ceramic is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), dielectric study and impedance spectroscopy. The XRD pattern shows single phase ceramic of orthorhombic symmetry. The frequency-dependent dielectric study shows that the dielectric constant is maximized at low frequencies and decreases with an increase in frequency. Impedance spectroscopy analyses reveal a non-Debye type relaxation phenomenon. A significant shift in impedance loss peaks toward the higher-frequency side indicates conduction in the material favoring the long-range motion of mobile charge carriers. The grain conduction effect is observed from the complex impedance spectrum by the appearance of one semicircular arc in Nyquist plot. It is also observed that the resistance decreases with an increase in temperature showing a negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR). Various thermistor parameters have been calculated by fitting with Steinhart-Hart equation. The modulus plots represent the presence of temperaturedependent electrical relaxation phenomenon with the material. The frequency-dependent AC conductivity at different temperatures indicates that the conduction process is thermally activated. The activation energy has been calculated from an Arrhenius plot of DC conductivity and relaxation frequency.

Nanocrystalline and bulk Li 2 TiO 3 having monoclinic structure were prepared by mechanical alloying as well as conventional ceramic route. Complex impedance analysis in the frequency range of 100 Hz-1 MHz over a wide range of temperature (50-500 ℃) indicates the presence of grain boundary effect along with the bulk contribution. The frequency-dependent conductivity plots exhibit power law dependence, suggesting three types of conduction in the material: low-frequency (100 Hz-1 kHz) conductivity showing long-range translational motion of electrons (frequency independent), mid-frequency (1-10 kHz) conductivity showing short-range hopping of charge carriers and high-frequency (10 kHz-1 MHz) conductivity showing conduction due to localized orientation of hopping mechanism. The electrical conductivity measurement of nanocrystalline and bulk Li 2 TiO 3 with temperature shows the negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR) behavior. The activation energy (0.77 eV for nano sample and 0.88 eV for bulk sample) study shows the conduction mechanism in both samples. The low activation energies of the samples suggest the presence of singly ionized oxygen vacancies in the conduction process.

Lithium titanate (Li 2 TiO 3 ) is one of the most promising candidates among the tritium breeding materials because of its good tritium release capacity. Li concentration has much significance on the diffusivity of tritium in the material. The nanocrystalline single-phase Li 2 TiO 3 with monoclinic structure has been prepared by high energy ball milling followed by calcination at 700 ℃ for 2 h. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) studies confirmed uniform distribution of nanocrystalline phase with particle size below 100 nm. The study of the Li + ion diffusion on the sintered sample was investigated by means of electrical conductivity measurements. Electrical properties of the samples were studied in wide temperature (50-500 ℃) and frequency (100 Hz-1 MHz) ranges. The complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS) studies showed the presence of both bulk and grain boundary effects in nanocrystalline Li 2 TiO 3 . The bulk resistance of the samples has been observed to decrease with rise in temperature showing a typical negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR) behavior. The low activation energies of the samples suggested the presence of singly ionized oxygen vacancies in the conduction process. The hopping frequency shifted toward higher frequency with increase in temperature. Activation energy of 0.86 eV was calculated from AC conductivity.

No abstract