Effect of N Concentration Upon Resistive Switching Behavior of Au/Ni/TaON/NiSi ECM Devices

Abstract

In this study, Au/Ni/TaOx/NiSi and Au/Ni/TaON/NiSi electrochemical metallization memory devices are fabricated and their resistive switching (RS) behavior is investigated. The composition of TaON is controlled by changing the N partial pressure during sputtering. The Au/Ni/TaOx/NiSi device does not function as a memory device, whereas the Au/Ni/TaON/NiSi devices show conventional ECM characteristics. In addition, the device with the highest N concentration among those fabricate exhibites the best RS characteristics, with a constant high-resistance-state (HRS) current level and stable retention properties over 5 x 10(4) s, due to the formation of strong Ni conductive filaments (CFs). The TaON film with the highest N concentration has the lowest defect density, allowing stable Ni CFs to form and thereby yielding superior device performance.