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Analysis of resistance switching and conductive filaments inside Cu-Ge-S using in situ transmission electron microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2012

Takashi Fujii
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0814, Japan; and Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan
Masashi Arita
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0814, Japan
Yasuo Takahashi*
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0814, Japan
Ichiro Fujiwara
Affiliation:
Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center, Yokohama 222-0033, Japan
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: y-taka@nano.ist.hokudai.ac.jp
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Abstract

In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was carried out to investigate the dynamics of resistance switching in a solid electrolyte, Cu-Ge-S. By applying voltage to Pt-Ir/Cu-Ge-S/Pt-Ir, where Pt-Ir constituted the electrodes, a deposit containing conductive filaments composed mainly of Cu was formed around the cathode. As voltage continued to be applied, the deposit grew and finally narrow conductive filaments made contact with the anode. This corresponded to resistance switching from high- to low-resistance states (HRS and LRS). By alternating the voltage, the deposit contracted toward the cathode and detached from the anode. The resistance immediately changed from LRS to HRS. By applying voltage, the deposit containing Cu-based filaments grew and shrank, and resistance switching occurred at the electrolyte-anode interface. This conductive filament-formation model, which was recently reported, was experimentally confirmed with TEM through dynamic observations of the deposit-containing filaments.

Type
Invited Feature Paper
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012

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