Resistive switching and its suppression in Pt/Nb:SrTiO3 junctions

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 5; no. 1; p. 3990
• Main Authors: Mikheev, Evgeny, Hoskins, Brian D., Strukov, Dmitri B., Stemmer, Susanne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02-06-2014; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Pub. Group
• Subjects: 639/301/1005/1007; 639/301/357; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4990

Oxide-based resistive switching devices are promising candidates for new memory and computing technologies. Poor understanding of the defect-based mechanisms that give rise to resistive switching is a major impediment for engineering reliable and reproducible devices. Here we identify an unintentional interface layer as the origin of resistive switching in Pt/Nb:SrTiO
3
junctions. We clarify the microscopic mechanisms by which the interface layer controls the resistive switching. We show that appropriate interface processing can eliminate this contribution. These findings are an important step towards engineering more reliable resistive switching devices.
Understanding the resistive switching mechanism in oxide-based memories is an ongoing challenge. Here, the authors isolate an unintentional interfacial layer as the origin of resistive switching in Pt/Nb:SrTiO
3
junctions, and show that suitable processing can remove this unwanted contribution.