AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition
    Electronic Materials and Processing Tuesday Sessions
       Session EM+MI+NS+SS+TF-TuA

Invited Paper EM+MI+NS+SS+TF-TuA3
Atomistic Mechanism of RRAM Operations

Tuesday, October 29, 2013, 2:40 pm, Room 101 B

Session: High-k Oxides for MOSFETs and Memory Devices II/Oxides and Dielectrics for Novel Devices and Ultra-dense Memory I
Presenter: G. Bersuker, SEMATECH
Correspondent: Click to Email
Non-volatile resistive switching memory (RRAM) technology shows a promise to overcome the scaling limit approached by the conventional electron storage memories. Among a variety of RRAM systems, the HfO2-based technology is especially attractive due to its fab-friendly fabrication process, high endurance and retention, and sub-nanosecond switching-speed assuming that low-current, low-variability operations can be achieved. This study aims to identify critical features of the material structure and operation conditions controlling the inherently stochastic switching process. The forming of the initial conductive filament in hafnia and its subsequent disruption/restoration responsible for the switching between high and low resistive states are modeled considering oxygen vacancies/ions generation and recombination and oxygen ion diffusion in the surrounding oxide driven by the local temperature and electric field. The simulations reveal the main structural characteristics of the dielectric stack affecting variability and allow assessing the effect of different forming conditions on the overall filament geometry/composition, thus, providing general guidelines for optimizing device operations.