Effects of switching parameters on resistive switching behaviors of polycrystalline SrZrO(3): Cr-based metal-oxide-metal structures

Abstract

Polycrystalline SrZrO(3):Cr-based metal-oxide-metal (MOM) structures were fabricated on Si substrates by RF sputtering for commercial memory applications. From current-voltage measurements of the MOM structures, reproducible and bistable resistive switching behaviors were observed. In this paper, the effects of switching parameters, such as set power and voltage sweep rate, on the resistive switching characteristics of SrZrO(3):Cr-based MOM structures were investigated. With increasing set power (= integral I(V)dV, set voltage <= V <= 0) during set process [resistance change from a high-resistance state to a low-resistance state (LRS)] the LRS current was increased, and the shape of the LRS curve was changed from nonlinear to linear. Also, as the voltage sweep rate was decreased from 50 to 0.5 V/s, the current level of the LRS was increased, and the resistive switching behavior was more clearly observed. The results suggest that the change in switching behaviors is attributed to the variation of local conduction paths and that resistive switching behaviors are energy dependent.