Nonlinear switching with ultralow reset power in graphene-insulator- graphene forming-free resistive memories

A high-performance resistive random access memory with graphene top and bottom electrodes and TiOx/Al2O3/TiO2 dielectric stacks is reported. The devices exhibit forming-free switching with stable operation at sub-μA operating current. The switching is highly nonlinear with rectifying characteristics in the sub-μA regime. As a result, the reset current is orders of magnitude smaller than the current compliance. Due to the increasing nonlinearity with decreasing current compliance, the reset current is ∼100 pA or less for the current compliance of 180 nA. Overall, the devices demonstrate sub-μA operating current, sub-nW reset power, ON/OFF ratio of ∼10⁴, stable dc endurance for more than 200 dc cycles, and stable retention up to 10⁴ s. The rectifying characteristic offers potential to reduce sneak-currents in cross-bar architectures. © 2014 IEEE.

Duke Scholars

Author Tania Roy Electrical and Computer Engineering