Threshold resistive and capacitive switching behavior in binary amorphous GeSe

Abstract

A threshold switching (TS) event in a binary amorphous GeSe film placed between Pt top and bottom electrodes was examined. This GeSe film exhibits fast (<40 ns) TS behavior. The observed TS of the resistance was found to be accompanied with the TS of the capacitance. A mechanism for the TS of the GeSe film was suggested by revisiting the previous controversy about the thermal versus non-thermal electronic mechanism. The non-thermal electronic mechanism envisaging the double-injection of electronic carriers can qualitatively account for the measured threshold resistive and capacitive switching, whereas the TS behavior simulated using the thermal mechanism is inconsistent with the experimental observation. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4714705]