Improved switching uniformity in resistive random access memory containing metal-doped electrolyte due to thermally agglomerated metallic filaments

We demonstrate improved switching uniformity in resistive random-access memory (RRAM) containing metal-doped electrolyte due to thermally agglomerated metallic filaments. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) produced copper-doped carbon (CuC) devices that exhibited better switching parameters, such as on/off resistance and set/reset voltage, than a control device. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron dispersive spectroscopy, and conductive atomic force microscopy revealed that Cu atoms were agglomerated during the RTA process and formed a Cu filament in the CuC film. Consequently, the forming process can be eliminated, which is desirable for practical RRAM applications. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3700730]