Cyclic electric field stress on bipolar resistive switching devices

Abstract

We have studied the effects of accumulating cyclic electrical pulses of increasing amplitude on the non-volatile resistance state of interfaces made by sputtering a metal (Au, Pt) on top of the surface of a cuprate superconductor YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-\delta}$ (YBCO). We have analyzed the influence of the number of applied pulses $N$ on the relative amplitude of the remnant resistance change between the high ($R_H$) and the low ($R_L$) state [$\alpha=(R_{H}-R_{L})/R_{L}$] at different temperatures ($T$). We show that the critical voltage ($V_c$) needed to produce a resistive switching (RS, i.e. $\alpha >0$) decreases with increasing $N$ or $T$. We also find a power law relation between the voltage of the pulses and the number of pulses $N_{\alpha_0}$ required to produce a RS of $\alpha=\alpha_0$. This relation remains very similar to the Basquin equation used to describe the stress-fatigue lifetime curves in mechanical tests. This points out to the similarity between the physics of the RS, associated with the diffusion of oxygen vacancies induced by electrical pulses, and the propagation of defects in materials subjected to repeated mechanical stress.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. To be published in JAP. Corresponding author: acha@df.uba.a

YBCO-based non-volatile ReRAM tested in Low Earth Orbit

“…2. As obtained previously for ceramics [20] and for thin films [21] metal/YBCO devices, our DUT exhibits a bipolar RS and hysteretical and non-linear IV characteristics.…”

Poole-Frenkel effect and variable-range hopping conduction in metal/YBCO resistive switching devices

“…2 b), the relative amplitude of the remnant resistance change at room temperature, defined as α = (R HRS − R LRS )/R LRS , is presented as function of V pulse and for different numbers of applied pulses (N). As shown in a previous study [18], α increases logarithmically with increasing N and follows a power-law-like dependence with V pulse (if V pulse is higher than a N-dependent threshold voltage, V c (N)). A similar result has been observed for Ag / manganite interfaces and was interpreted as a consequence of the voltage and history dependent spatial distribution of oxygen-vacancies near the interface.…”

“…Au and Pt were chosen as metals for the pair of pulsed electrodes, labeled 1 and 2, respectively. As we have previously shown [18], the Pt / YBCO interfaces have a lower resistance value than the Au / YBCO ones (R P t < ∼ R Au /3), and a small RS amplitude. Thus, we may disregard the influence of the Pt / YBCO electrode and proceed as if only the Au / YBCO electrode were active (i.e.…”

Electrical conduction mechanisms of metal / high-T c superconductor (YBCO) interfaces

“…As shown previously on ceramic YBCO/metal interfaces [12], the thin film YBCO/metal For each I-V characteristic, temperature was stabilized within a 100 mK range for each selected temperature, varied from 270 K to 50 K at ∼5 K intervals. Devices were located in a liquid Helium cryostat where temperature was measured using a carbon-glass thermometer, in good thermal contact with the device.…”