Speaker
Description
Memristors – a novel addition to the classical circuit elements of resistors, capacitors, and inductors – exhibit the ability to switch between low and high resistance states. This transition is made possible by forming and rupturing conductive filaments made of oxygen vacancy defects (VO) within the memristor. Recent research has focused on scaling memristor dimensions down to the nanometer scale while retaining an acceptable switching speed, endurance, and on/off ratio. At these near-atomic scales, controlling the geometry of the CF has proven to be essential to optimizing these memristor properties. One key factor of CF geometry control is controlling the VO quantity and concentration within the memristor. This talk will discuss two methods for controlling VO quantity and concentration: atomic layer deposition (ALD) for atomically precise introduction of VO into the memristor, and electrical tuning which can be used to modify the concentration of VO within the memristor. The discussion will explain how ALD tuning of the device, by adjusting the concentration of VO as well as the thickness of the insulating oxide are the principal structural factors that influence the memristor’s endurance. We also discuss how electrical tuning, specifically an applied bias' amplitude and duration, is capable of increasing memristor endurance as well as reviving failed memristors. The findings in this talk suggest a general rule of thumb for optimizing memristor endurance and performance.
