Advances of embedded resistive random access memory in industrial manufacturing and its potential applications

Embedded memory,which heavily relies on the manufacturing process,has been widely adopted in various industrial applications.As the field of embedded memory continues to evolve,innovative strategies are emerging to enhance performance.Among them,resistive random access memory(RRAM)has gained significant attention due to its numerousadvantages over traditional memory devices,including high speed(<1 ns),high density(4 F^(2)·n^(-1)),high scalability(~nm),and low power consumption(~pJ).This review focuses on the recent progress of embedded RRAM in industrial manufacturing and its potentialapplications.It provides a brief introduction to the concepts and advantages of RRAM,discusses the key factors that impact its industrial manufacturing,and presents the commercial progress driven by cutting-edge nanotechnology,which has been pursued by manysemiconductor giants.Additionally,it highlights the adoption of embedded RRAM in emerging applications within the realm of the Internet of Things and future intelligent computing,with a particular emphasis on its role in neuromorphic computing.Finally,the review discusses thecurrent challenges and provides insights into the prospects of embedded RRAM in the era of big data and artificial intelligence.

The study of lithographic variation in resistive random access memory

Reducing the process variation is a significant concern for resistive random access memory(RRAM).Due to its ultrahigh integration density,RRAM arrays are prone to lithographic variation during the lithography process,introducing electrical variation among different RRAM devices.In this work,an optical physical verification methodology for the RRAM array is developed,and the effects of different layout parameters on important electrical characteristics are systematically investigated.The results indicate that the RRAM devices can be categorized into three clusters according to their locations and lithography environments.The read resistance is more sensitive to the locations in the array(~30%)than SET/RESET voltage(<10%).The increase in the RRAM device length and the application of the optical proximity correction technique can help to reduce the variation to less than 10%,whereas it reduces RRAM read resistance by 4×,resulting in a higher power and area consumption.As such,we provide design guidelines to minimize the electrical variation of RRAM arrays due to the lithography process.

Resistive switching characteristic and uniformity of low-power HfO_x-based resistive random access memory with the BN insertion layer

In this letter,the Ta/HfO/BN/TiN resistive switching devices are fabricated and they exhibit low power consumption and high uniformity each.The reset current is reduced for the HfO/BN bilayer device compared with that for the Ta/HfO/TiN structure.Furthermore,the reset current decreases with increasing BN thickness.The HfOlayer is a dominating switching layer,while the low-permittivity and high-resistivity BN layer acts as a barrier of electrons injection into TiN electrode.The current conduction mechanism of low resistance state in the HfO/BN bilayer device is space-chargelimited current(SCLC),while it is Ohmic conduction in the HfOdevice.

Thermal stability and data retention of resistive random access memory with HfOx/ZnO double layers

As an industry accepted storage scheme, hafnium oxide（HfO_x） based resistive random access memory（RRAM）should further improve its thermal stability and data retention for practical applications. We therefore fabricated RRAMs with HfO_x/ZnO double-layer as the storage medium to study their thermal stability as well as data retention. The HfO_x/ZnO double-layer is capable of reversible bipolar switching under ultralow switching current（〈 3 μA） with a Schottky emission dominant conduction for the high resistance state and a Poole–Frenkel emission governed conduction for the low resistance state. Compared with a drastically increased switching current at 120℃ for the single HfO_x layer RRAM, the HfO_x/ZnO double-layer exhibits excellent thermal stability and maintains neglectful fluctuations in switching current at high temperatures（up to 180℃）, which might be attributed to the increased Schottky barrier height to suppress current at high temperatures. Additionally, the HfO_x/ZnO double-layer exhibits 10-year data retention @85℃ that is helpful for the practical applications in RRAMs.

Carbon-based memristors for resistive random access memory and neuromorphic applications

As a typical representative of nanomaterials,carbon nanomaterials have attracted widespread attention in the construction of electronic devices owing to their unique physical and chemical properties,multi-dimensionality,multi-hybridization methods,and excellent electronic properties.Especially in the recent years,memristors based on carbon nanomaterials have flourished in the field of building non-volatile memory devices and neuromorphic applications.In the current work,the preparation methods and structural characteristics of carbon nanomaterials of different dimensions were systematically reviewed.Afterwards,in depth discussion on the structural characteristics and working mechanism of memristors based on carbon nanomaterials of different dimensions was conducted.Finally,the potential applications of carbon-based memristors in logic operations,neural network construction,artificial vision systems,artificial tactile systems,and multimodal perception systems were also introduced.It is believed that this paper will provide guidance for the future development of high-quality information storage,high-performance neuromorphic applications,and highsensitivity bionic sensing based on carbon-based memristors.

Operation methods of resistive random access memory

In this paper, different electrical measurement and operation methods of resistive random access memory （RRAM） have been summarized, including voltage sweeping mode （VSM）, current sweeping mode （CSM）, co lstant current stress （CCS）, constant voltage stress （CVS）, rectangular pulse mode （RPM）, and triangle pulse mode （TPM）. Meanwhile, the effects of these meas- urement methods on the forming, set, reset and read operation as well as endurance performance have been compared. Finally, their respective controllability of various resistive switching parameters have been summar zeal and analyzed.

A flexible nickel phthalocyanine resistive random access memory with multi-level data storage capability

Metal phthalocyanine is considered one of the most promising candidates for the design and fabrication of flexible resistive random access memory(RRAM)devices due to its intrinsic flexibility and excellent functionality.However,performance degradation and the lack of multi-level capability,which can directly expand the storage capacity in one memory cell without sacrificing additional layout area,are the primary obstacles to the use of metal phthalocyanine RRAMs in information storage.Here,a flexible RRAM with pristine nickel phthalocyanine(Ni Pc)as the resistive layer is reported for multi-level data storage.Due to its high trap-concentration,the charge transport behavior of the device agrees well with classical space charge limited conduction controlled by traps,leading to an excellent performance,including a high on-off current ratio of 10^(7),a long-term retention of 10^(6)s,a reproducible endurance over6000 cycles,long-term flexibility at a bending strain of 0.6%,a write speed of 50 ns under sequential bias pulses and the capability of multi-level data storage with reliable retention and uniformity.

Recent advances in resistive random access memory based on lead halide perovskite

Lead halide perovskites have attracted increasing attention in photovoltaic devices,light-emitting diodes,photodetectors,and other fields due to their excellent properties.Besides optoelectronic devices,growing numbers of studies have focused on the perovskite-based electrical devices in the past few years,such as transistors and resistive random access memories(RRAMs).Here,this article summarizes the recent progress the researchers have made of RRAM devices.Primarily,the working mechanism and the key parameters of RRAM are introduced.Generally,the working principles,including the conductive filament model(containing the types of the model of the metal cationsinduced filament and the model of the ions migration in bulk),the interface effect,and the electronic effect are the origins of the RRAM behaviors,and hence,various factors that affect the device performance are explored.Then,RRAMs based on organolead halide perovskite and all-inorganic perovskite are discussed in terms of different structures,different compositions,and different fabrication methods.Finally,a brief conclusion and a broad outlook are given on the progress and challenges in the field of perovskite-based RRAMs.

Graphene resistive random memory - the promising memory device in next generation

Graphene-based resistive random access memory （GRRAM） has grasped researchers＇ attention due to its merits com- pared with ordinary RRAM. In this paper, we briefly review different types of GRRAMs. These GRRAMs can be divided into two categories： graphene RRAM and graphene oxide （GO）/reduced graphene oxide （rGO） RRAM. Using graphene as the electrode, GRRAM can own many good characteristics, such as low power consumption, higher density, transparency, SET voltage modulation, high uniformity, and so on. Graphene flakes sandwiched between two dielectric layers can lower the SET voltage and achieve multilevel switching. Moreover, the GRRAM with rGO and GO as the dielectric or electrode can be simply fabricated. Flexible and high performance RRAM and GO film can be modified by adding other materials layer or making a composite with polymer, nanoparticle, and 2D materials to further improve the performance. Above all, GRRAM shows huge potential to become the next generation memory.

Effect of Pulse and dc Formation on the Performance of One-Transistor and One-Resistor Resistance Random Access Memory Devices

We investigate the effect of the formation process under pulse and dc modes on the performance of one transistor and one resistor （1 T1R） resistance random access memory （RRAM） device. All the devices are operated under the same test conditions, except for the initial formation process with different modes. Based on the statistical results, the high resistance state （FIRS） under the dc forming mode shows a lower value with better distribution compared with that under the pulse mode. One of the possible reasons for such a phenomenon originates from different properties of conductive filament （CF） formed in the resistive switching layer under two different modes. For the dc forming mode, the formed filament is thought to be continuous, which is hard to be ruptured, resulting in a lower HRS. However, in the case of pulse forming, the filament is discontinuous where the transport mechanism is governed by hopping. The low resistance state （LRS） can be easily changed by removing a few trapping states from the conducting path. Hence, a higher FIRS is thus observed. However, the HRS resistance is highly dependent on the length of the gap opened. A slight variation of the gap length will cause wide dispersion of resistance.

Effects of Film Thickness and Ar/O2 Ratio on Resistive Switching Characteristics of HfOx-Based Resistive-Switching Random Access Memories

Cu/HfOx/n^＋Si devices are fabricated to investigate the influence of technological parameters including film thickness and Ar/02 ratio on the resistive switching （RS） characteristics of HfOx films, in terms of switch ratio, endurance properties, retention time and multilevel storage. It is revealed that the RS characteristics show strong dependence on technological parameters mainly by altering the defects （oxygen vacancies） in the film. The sample with thickness of 2Onto and Ar/O2 ratio of 12：3 exhibits the best RS behavior with the potential of multilevel storage. The conduction mechanism of all the films is interpreted based on the filamentary model.

Improved resistive switching stability of Pt/ZnO/CoO_x /ZnO/Pt structure for nonvolatile memory devices

For Pt(Ag)/ZnO single-layer/Pt structure,random 10 formation and rupture of conductive filaments composed by oxygen vacancies or metallic ions often cause dispersion problems of resistive switching(RS)parameters,which is disadvantageous to devices application.In this study,ZnO/CoOx/ZnO(ZCZ)tri-layers were utilized as the switching layers to investigate their RS properties as compared with ZnO-based single-layer devices.It is interestingly noted that Pt/ZCZ/Pt devices show quite stable bipolar RS behaviors with little resistance value fluctuations compared to Ag/ZCZ/Pt devices and Pt(Ag)/ZnO/Pt devices,which minimize the dispersion of the resistances of RS.This highly stable RS effect of Pt/ZCZ/Pt structure would be promising for high density memory devices.

Resistive switching characteristics of Ti/ZrO_2/Pt RRAM device

In this paper, the bipolar resistive switching characteristic is reported in Ti/ZrO2/Pt resistive switching memory de- vices. The dominant mechanism of resistive switching is the formation and rupture of the conductive filament composed of oxygen vacancies. The conduction mechanisms for low and high resistance states are dominated by the ohmic conduc- tion and the trap-controlled space charge limited current （SCLC） mechanism, respectively. The effect of a set compliance current on the switching parameters is also studied： the low resistance and reset current are linearly dependent on the set compliance current in the log-log scale coordinate; and the set and reset voltage increase slightly with the increase of the set compliance current. A series circuit model is proposed to explain the effect of the set compliance current on the resistive switching behaviors.

Investigation of resistive switching behaviours in WO_3-based RRAM devices

In this paper, a WO3-based resistive random access memory device composed of a thin film of WO3 sandwiched between a copper top and a platinum bottom electrodes is fabricated by electron beam evaporation at room temperature. The reproducible resistive switching, low power consumption, multilevel storage possibility, and good data retention characteristics demonstrate that the Cu/WO3/Pt memory device is very promising for future nonvolatile memory applications. The formation and rupture of localised conductive filaments is suggested to be responsible for the observed resistive switching behaviours.

Analysis of the resistive switching behaviors of vanadium oxide thin film

We demonstrate the polarization of resistive switching for a Cu/VOx/Cu memory cell.The switching behaviors of Cu/VOx/Cu cell are tested by using a semiconductor device analyzer（Agilent B1500A）,and the relative micro-analysis of I-V characteristics of VOx/Cu is characterized by using a conductive atomic force microscope（CAFM）.The I-V test results indicate that both the forming and the reversible resistive switching between low resistance state（LRS） and high resistance state（HRS） can be observed under either positive or negative sweep.The CAFM images for LRS and HRS directly exhibit evidence for the formation and rupture of filaments based on positive or negative voltage.The Cu/VOx/Cu sandwiched structure exhibits reversible resistive switching behavior and shows potential applications in the next generation of nonvolatile memory.

Bipolar resistance switching in the fully transparent BaSnO_3-based memory device

The fully transparent indium-tin-oxide/BaSnO3/F-doped SnO2 devices that show a stable bipolar resistance switching effect are successfully fabricated. In addition to the transmittance being above 87% for visible light, an initial forming process is unnecessary for the production of transparent memory. Fittings to the current-voltage curves reveal the interfacial conduction in the devices. The first-principles calculation indicates that the oxygen vacancies in cubic BaSnO3 will form the defective energy level below the bottom of conduction band. The field-induced resistance change can be explained based on the change of the interracial Schottky barrier, due to the migration of oxygen vacancies in the vicinity of the interface. This work presents a candidate material BaSnO3 for the application of resistive random access memory to transparent electronics.

Temperature dependences of ferroelectricity and resistive switching behavior of epitaxial BiFeO_3 thin films

We investigate the resistive switching and ferroelectric polarization properties of high-quality epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films in various temperature ranges. The room temperature current-voltage（I-V） curve exhibits a well-established polarization-modulated memristor behavior. At low temperatures（〈 253 K）, the I-V curve shows an open circuit voltage（OCV）, which possibly originates from the dielectric relaxation effects, accompanied with a current hump due to the polarization reversal displacement current. While at relative higher temperatures（〉 253 K）, the I-V behaviors are governed by both space-charge-limited conduction（SCLC） and Ohmic behavior. The polarization reversal is able to trigger the conduction switching from Ohmic to SCLC behavior, leading to the observed ferroelectric resistive switching. At a temperature of〉 298 K, there occurs a new resistive switching hysteresis at high bias voltages, which may be related to defect-mediated effects.

Electric modulation of anisotropic magnetoresistance in Pt/HfO_(2-x)/NiO_(y)/Ni heterojunctions

Electric field control of magnetism through nanoionics has attracted tremendous attention owing to its high efficiency and low power consumption.In solid-state dielectrics,an electric field drives the redistribution of ions to create onedimensional magnetic conductive nanostructures,enabling the realization of intriguing magnetoresistance(MR)effects.Here,we explored the electric-controlled nickel and oxygen ion migration in Pt/HfO_(2-x)/NiO_(y)/Ni heterojunctions for MR modulation.By adjusting the voltage polarity and amplitude,the magnetic conductive filaments with mixed nickel and oxygen vacancy are constructed.This results in the reduction of device resistance by~10^(3)folds,and leads to an intriguing partial asymmetric MR effect.We show that the difference of the device resistance under positive and negative saturation magnetic fields exhibits good linear dependence on the magnetic field angle,which can be used for magnetic field direction detection.Our study suggests the potential of electrically controlled ion migration in creating novel magnetic nanostructures for sensor applications.

Physical Mechanism and Performance Factors of Metal Oxide Based Resistive Switching Memory:A Review

This review summarizes the mechanism and performance of metal oxide based resistive switching memory. The origin of resistive switching （RS） behavior can be roughly classified into the conducting filament type and the interface type. Here, we adopt the filament type to study the metal oxide based resistive switch- ing memory, which considers the migration of metallic cations and oxygen vacancies, as well as discuss two main mechanisms including the electrochemical metallization effect （ECM） and valence change memory effect （VCM）. At the light of the influence of the electrode materials and switching layers on the RS char- acteristics, an overview has also been given on the performance parameters including the uniformity, endurance, the retention, and the multi-layer storage. Especially, we mentioned ITO （indium tin oxide） electrode and discussed the novel RS characteristics related with ITO. Finally, the challenges resistive random access memory （RRAM） device is facing, as well as the future development trend, are expressed.

Thermal effect on endurance performance of 3-dimensional RRAM crossbar array

Three-dimensional（3D） crossbar array architecture is one of the leading candidates for future ultra-high density nonvolatile memory applications. To realize the technological potential, understanding the reliability mechanisms of the3 D RRAM array has become a field of intense research. In this work, the endurance performance of the 3D 1D1 R crossbar array under the thermal effect is investigated in terms of numerical simulation. It is revealed that the endurance performance of the 3D 1D1 R array would be seriously deteriorated under thermal effects as the feature size scales down to a relatively small value. A possible method to alleviate the thermal effects is provided and verified by numerical simulation.