A mechanism for unipolar resistance switching in oxide non-volatile memory devices

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new mechanism for unipolar resistance switching in oxide-based non-volatile memory devices, emphasizing the role of electronic correlations at the metal-insulator interface, aligning with recent experimental findings.

Contribution

It introduces a model explaining unipolar switching in metal-insulator-metal structures, highlighting the importance of electronic correlation effects at interfaces.

Findings

Electronic correlation effects are crucial for resistive switching.

The model reproduces experimental switching behavior.

Switching occurs with voltage sweeps of the same polarity.

Abstract

Building on a recently introduced model for non-volatile resistive switching, we propose a mechanism for unipolar resistance switching in metal-insulator-metal sandwich structures. The commutation from the high to low resistance state and back can be achieved with successive voltage sweeps of the same polarity. Electronic correlation effects at the metal-insulator interface are found to play a key role to produce a resistive commutation effect in qualitative agreement with recent experimental reports on binary transition metal oxide based sandwich structures.