Exchange of Ions across the TiN/TaO xInterface during Electroformation of TaO x-Based Resistive Switching Devices

Yuanzhi Ma; David A. Cullen; Jonathan M. Goodwill; Qiyun Xu; Karren L. More; Marek Skowronski

doi:10.1021/acsami.0c06960

Exchange of Ions across the TiN/TaO _xInterface during Electroformation of TaO _x-Based Resistive Switching Devices

Yuanzhi Ma, David A. Cullen, Jonathan M. Goodwill, Qiyun Xu, Karren L. More, Marek Skowronski

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

The valence change model describes the resistive switching in metal oxide-based devices as due to electroreduction of the oxide and subsequent electromigration of oxygen vacancies. Here, we present cross-sectional X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy elemental maps of Ta, O, N, and Ti in electroformed TiN/TaO2.0/TiN structures. O, N, and Ti were exchanged between the anode and the functional oxide in devices formed at high power (∼1 mW), but the exchange was below the detection limit at low power (<0.5 mW). All structures exhibit a similar Ta-enriched and O-depleted filament formed by the elemental segregation in the functional oxide by the temperature gradient. The elemental interchange is interpreted as due to Fick's diffusion caused by high temperatures in the gap of the filament and is not an essential part of electroformation.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	27378-27385
Number of pages	8
Journal	ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
Volume	12
Issue number	24
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c06960
State	Published - Jun 17 2020

Funding

This work was supported in part by NSF Grant DMR-1905648 and the Data Storage Systems Center at Carnegie Mellon University. The authors acknowledge the use of the Materials Characterization Facility at Carnegie Mellon University supported by grant MCF-677785 and the electron microscopy facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science User Facility.

Funders	Funder number
National Science Foundation	DMR-1905648, 1905648
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Science
Carnegie Mellon University	MCF-677785

Keywords

electroformation
electroreduction
interdiffusion
resistive switching devices
valence change model

Access to Document

10.1021/acsami.0c06960

Cite this

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title = "Exchange of Ions across the TiN/TaO xInterface during Electroformation of TaO x-Based Resistive Switching Devices",

abstract = "The valence change model describes the resistive switching in metal oxide-based devices as due to electroreduction of the oxide and subsequent electromigration of oxygen vacancies. Here, we present cross-sectional X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy elemental maps of Ta, O, N, and Ti in electroformed TiN/TaO2.0/TiN structures. O, N, and Ti were exchanged between the anode and the functional oxide in devices formed at high power (∼1 mW), but the exchange was below the detection limit at low power (<0.5 mW). All structures exhibit a similar Ta-enriched and O-depleted filament formed by the elemental segregation in the functional oxide by the temperature gradient. The elemental interchange is interpreted as due to Fick's diffusion caused by high temperatures in the gap of the filament and is not an essential part of electroformation.",

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author = "Yuanzhi Ma and Cullen, {David A.} and Goodwill, {Jonathan M.} and Qiyun Xu and More, {Karren L.} and Marek Skowronski",

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AU - Ma, Yuanzhi

AU - Cullen, David A.

AU - Goodwill, Jonathan M.

AU - Xu, Qiyun

AU - More, Karren L.

AU - Skowronski, Marek

PY - 2020/6/17

Y1 - 2020/6/17

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AB - The valence change model describes the resistive switching in metal oxide-based devices as due to electroreduction of the oxide and subsequent electromigration of oxygen vacancies. Here, we present cross-sectional X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy elemental maps of Ta, O, N, and Ti in electroformed TiN/TaO2.0/TiN structures. O, N, and Ti were exchanged between the anode and the functional oxide in devices formed at high power (∼1 mW), but the exchange was below the detection limit at low power (<0.5 mW). All structures exhibit a similar Ta-enriched and O-depleted filament formed by the elemental segregation in the functional oxide by the temperature gradient. The elemental interchange is interpreted as due to Fick's diffusion caused by high temperatures in the gap of the filament and is not an essential part of electroformation.

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