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Significance Statement
Internet of things and big data drive huge demand on high density storage. Cross-point resistive switching array has been proposed to be very suitable for high density memory and neuromorphic computing applications [2]. However, the sneak path issue limited the array size. Either a current limiting device needs to be connected with the resistive random access memory (ReRAM) or the switching device has self-compliance properties. Most of current compliance element uses a transistor which occupy large area. This becomes the bottleneck of the adoption of cross-point ReRAM.
A research team in Tsinghua University has led the development progress to achieve self-compliance performance. For the first time, they fabricated an AlOδ/Ta2O5-x/TaOy triple layers based ReRAM device with very stable self-compliance property. By adopting this technology, the current limiting device, transistor, could be waived and the cross-point array density could be significantly increased. The research paper titled “Stable self-compliance resistive switching in AlO{Delta}/Ta2O5-x/TaOy triple layer devices” is published in Nanotechnology, 2015 (26). Prof. Wu, the principal investigator of the research group in Tsinghua University, commented that this device structure significantly improve the cell performance from ON/OFF window, retention and also showed outstanding self-compliance properties in comparison to bi-layer devices. The AlOδ layer is not only used as a built-in resistor to control the current and realize self-compliance function but also works as a barrier layer to increase the On/Off ration and reduce the operational current.
With recent research progress, researchers from industry and academic believe that ReRAM could be adopted firstly as embedded memory solution and later could be used for high density storage applications.
Journal Reference
Huaqiang Wu1,2, Xinyi Li1, Feiyang Huang1, An Chen3, Zhiping Yu1 and He Qian1,2. Nanotechnology 26 035203, 2015.
[expand title=”Show Affiliations”]1 Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China
2 Tsinghua National Laboratory for Information Science and Technology (TNList), Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China
3 GlobalFoundries, Sunnyvale, CA 94085, USA.
ABSTRACT
Stable self-compliance property was observed in the AlOδ/Ta2O5−x/TaOy triple-layer resistive random access memory structure. The impact of AlOδ barrier layer was studied with different thicknesses. Endurance of more than 1010 cycles and data retention for more than 3 h at 125 °C were demonstrated. All the measurements were carried out without external current compliance and no hard breakdown was observed. Systematic analysis reveals the self-compliance property is due to the built-in series resistance of the thin AlOδ barrier layer. A model is proposed to explain this self-compliance property.
