# Electrical Behavior of Combinatorial Thin-Film ZrxTa1−xOy

## TL;DR

This study explores how changing the composition of ZrxTa1−xOy thin films affects their electrical behavior and resistive switching mechanisms.

## Contribution

The paper reveals that a combination of charge trapping and ionic motion governs the resistive switching in mixed ZrxTa1−xOy systems.

## Key findings

- Charge trapping and emission control short-term cycling behavior in ZrxTa1−xOy devices.
- Ionic motion contributes to long-term changes in conduction with increased cycling.
- ToF-SIMS identified ionic motion as the source of the 'wake-up' behavior in the devices.

## Abstract

Combinatorial magnetron sputtering and electrical characterization were used to systematically study the impact of compositional changes in the resistive switching of transition metal oxides, specifically the ZrxTa1−xOy system. Current-voltage behavior across a range of temperatures provided insights into the mechanisms that contribute to differences in the electrical conductivity of the pristine Ta2O5 and ZrO2, and mixed ZrxTa1−xOy devices. The underlying conductive mechanism was found to be a mixture of charge trapping and ionic motion, where charge trapping/emission dictated the short-term cycling behavior while ion motion contributed to changes in the conduction with increased cycling number. ToF-SIMS was used to identify the origin of the “wake-up” behavior of the devices, revealing an ionic motion contribution. This understanding of how cation concentration affects conduction in mixed valence systems helps provide a foundation for a new approach toward manipulating resistive switching in these active layer materials.