Low-temperature, high-speed solution-processed strontium zirconate electrochemical metallization resistive memory

초록

A sol-gel Ag/SrZrOx/n+-Si electrochemical metallization (ECM) memory processed at a low temperature of 180 degrees C is successfully demonstrated for high-speed and low-power potential memory applications. By systematically modulating the precursor concentration, the device transitions from write-once-read-many behavior to gradual RESET, and ultimately to sharp, abrupt RESET switching. This evolution in resistive switching behavior is primarily attributed to variations in film thickness and oxygen vacancy concentration. The optimized 0.3 M SrZrOx (SZO) layer effectively suppresses intrinsic oxygen vacancies, enabling the controlled formation and rupture of Ag conductive filaments driven by the ECM mechanism. Consequently, the device achieves an exceptionally large memory window exceeding 105, a robust endurance of over 2 & times; 103 DC cycles, and reliable data retention extending beyond 104 s at both room temperature and 85 degrees C. Furthermore, transient current analysis reveals an ultra-fast switching speed of 20 ns for both SET and RESET operations. Carrier transport analysis indicates that the conduction mechanisms are governed by Ohmic and trap-controlled space-charge-limited conduction, accompanied by energy band diagrams to illustrate the detailed transport mechanisms in both high-resistance and low-resistance states. These comprehensive metrics indicate that the sol-gel-derived SZO ECM RRAM is a highly competitive candidate for next-generation high-performance non-volatile memory architectures.