Current-Induced Planar Resistive Switching Mediated by Oxygen Migration in NiO/Pt Bilayer

Abstract

New materials and mechanisms to retain electrically tunable resistance states are highly pursed to advance information technology. In this study, a novel scenario of current-induced planar resistive switching mediated by oxygen migration is unveiled in the NiO/Pt bilayers. Sawtooth-like switching is successfully realized in various crystalline NiO, and the switching amplitude monotonically increases with the Pt thickness. On the other hand, the critical switching current is found to be strongly correlated with the substrate thermal conductivity hence suggesting a thermal origin. By directly probing the Ni2+ and O2− distribution before and after switching via electron energy loss spectrum, the switching behavior in NiO/Pt is assuredly associated with the planar redistribution of O2−, thereby setting forth an oxygen migration scenario underlying the switching process. Under this scenario, the planar resistive switching is extended to the SrTiO3/Pt, GdOx/Pt, and TbOx/Pt, and the manipulation of the switching characteristics is successfully achieved by controlling the oxygen content in the GdOx/Pt and TbOx/Pt bilayers. The results offer novel strategy to design new emergent memory devices through oxygen mediated planar resistive switching.