Evidance for an Oxygen Diffusion Model for the Electric Pulse Induced Resistance Change Effect in Oxides

TL;DR

This paper investigates the resistance switching in PCMO oxides under electric pulses, proposing an oxygen diffusion model based on experimental observations of a shuttle peak and resistance relaxation behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces a novel oxygen diffusion model explaining the resistance change mechanism in PCMO, supported by experimental data on resistance relaxation and temperature dependence.

Findings

Identification of a shuttle peak in resistance hysteresis loops.

Resistance relaxation behavior indicates oxygen diffusion with ~0.4 eV activation energy.

Proposed oxygen diffusion model explains non-volatile resistance switching.

Abstract

Electric pulse induced resistance (EPIR) switching hysteresis loops for Pr0.7Ca0.7MnO3 (PCMO) perovskite oxide films were found to exhibit an additional sharp "shuttle peak" around the negative pulse maximum for films deposited in an oxygen deficient ambient. The device resistance hysteresis loop consists of stable high resistance and low resistance states, and transition regions between them. The resistance relaxation of the "shuttle peak" and its temperature behavior as well as the resistance relaxation in the transition regions were studied, and indicate that the resistance switching relates to oxygen diffusion with activation energy about 0.4eV. An oxygen diffusion model with the oxygen ions (vacancies) as the active agent is proposed for the non-volatile resistance switching effect in PCMO.