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1. (Digital Presentation) Investigation of Top Electrodes Impact on Performance of Transparent Amorphous Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (a-InGaZnO) Based Resistive Random Access Memory

   https://doi.org/10.1149/MA2022-01191075mtgabs  

   Qin, Fei ; Lee, Sunghwan ( July 2022 , ECS Meeting Abstracts)

   The traditional von Neumann architecture limits the increase in computing efficiency and results in massive power consumption in modern computers due to the separation of storage and processing units. The novel neuromorphic computation system, an in-memory computing architecture with low power consumption, is aimed to break the bottleneck and meet the needs of the next generation of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Thus, it is urgent to find a memory technology to implement the neuromorphic computing nanosystem. Nowadays, the silicon-based flash memory dominates non-volatile memory market, however, it is facing challenging issues to achieve the requirements of future data storage device development due to the drawbacks, such as scaling issue, relatively slow operation speed, and high voltage for program/erase operations. The emerging resistive random-access memory (RRAM) has prompted extensive research as its simple two-terminal structure, including top electrode (TE) layer, bottom electrode (BE) layer, and an intermediate resistive switching (RS) layer. It can utilize a temporary and reversible dielectric breakdown to cause the RS phenomenon between the high resistance state (HRS) and the low resistance state (LRS). RRAM is expected to outperform conventional memory device with the advantages, notably its low-voltage operation, short programming time, great cyclic stability, and good scalability.more »Among the materials for RS layer, indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) has shown attractive prospects in abundance and high atomic diffusion property of oxygen atoms, transparency. Additionally, its electrical properties can be easily modulated by controlling the stoichiometric ratio of indium and gallium as well as oxygen potential in the sputter gas. Moreover, since the IGZO can be applied to both the thin-film transistor (TFT) channel and RS layer, it has a great potential for fully integrated transparent electronics application. In this work, we proposed amorphous transparent IGZO-based RRAMs and investigated switching behaviors of the memory cells prepared with different top electrodes. First, ITO was choosing to serve as both TE and BE to achieve high transmittance. A multi-target magnetron sputtering system was employed to deposit all three layers (TE, RS, BE layers) on glass substrate. I-V characteristics were evaluated by a semiconductor parameter analyzer, and the bipolar RS feature of our RRAM devices was demonstrated by typical butterfly curves. The optical transmission analysis was carried out via a UV-Vis spectrometer and the average transmittance was around 80% out of entire devices in the visible-light wavelength range, implying high transparency. We adjusted the oxygen partial pressure during the sputtering of IGZO to optimize the property because the oxygen vacancy concentration governs the RS performance. Electrode selection is crucial and can impact the performance of the whole device. Thus, Cu TE was chosen for our second type of device because the diffusion of Cu ions can be beneficial for the formation of the conductive filament (CF). A ~5 nm SiO 2 barrier layer was employed between TE and RS layers to confine the diffusion of Cu into the RS layer. At the same time, this SiO 2 inserting layer can provide an additional interfacial series resistance in the device to lower the off current, consequently, improve the on/off ratio and whole performance. Finally, an oxygen affinity metal Ti was selected as the TE for our third type of device because the concentration of the oxygen atoms can be shifted towards the Ti electrode, which provides an oxygengettering activity near the Ti metal. This process may in turn lead to the formation of a sub-stoichiometric region in the neighboring oxide that is believed to be the origin of better performance. In conclusion, the transparent amorphous IGZO-based RRAMs were established. To tune the property of RS layer, the sputtering conditions of RS were varied. To investigate the influence of TE selections on switching performance of RRAMs, we integrated a set of TE materials, and a barrier layer on IGZO-based RRAM and compared the switch characteristics. Our encouraging results clearly demonstrate that IGZO is a promising material in RRAM applications and breaking the bottleneck of current memory technologies.« less
2. Electron irradiation-induced defects for reliability improvement in monolayer MoS2-based conductive-point memory devices

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-022-00306-8  

   Wu, Xiaohan ; Gu, Yuqian ; Ge, Ruijing ; Serna, Martha I. ; Huang, Yifu ; Lee, Jack C. ; Akinwande, Deji ( May 2022 , npj 2D Materials and Applications)

   Monolayer molybdenum disulfide has been previously discovered to exhibit non-volatile resistive switching behavior in a vertical metal-insulator-metal structure, featuring ultra-thin sub-nanometer active layer thickness. However, the reliability of these nascent 2D-based memory devices was not previously investigated for practical applications. Here, we employ an electron irradiation treatment on monolayer MoS₂film to modify the defect properties. Raman, photoluminescence, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements have been performed to confirm the increasing amount of sulfur vacancies introduced by the e-beam irradiation process. The statistical electrical studies reveal the reliability can be improved by up to 1.5× for yield and 11× for average DC cycling endurance in the devices with a moderate radiation dose compared to unirradiated devices. Based on our previously proposed virtual conductive-point model with the metal ion substitution into sulfur vacancy, Monte Carlo simulations have been performed to illustrate the irradiation effect on device reliability, elucidating a clustering failure mechanism. This work provides an approach by electron irradiation to enhance the reliability of 2D memory devices and inspires further research in defect engineering to precisely control the switching properties for a wide range of applications from memory computing to radio-frequency switches.
3. Transparent InGaZnO-Based Resistive Random Access Memory

   Qin, Fei ; Lee, Sunghwan ( May 2022 , Materials Research Society)

   The major focus of artificial intelligence (AI) research is made on biomimetic synaptic processes that are mimicked by functional memory devices in the computer industry [1]. It is urgent to find a memory technology for suiting with Brain-Inspired Computing to break the von Neumann bottleneck which limits the efficiency of conventional computer architectures [2]. Silicon-based flash memory, which currently dominates the market for data storage devices, is facing challenging issues to meet the needs of future data storage device development due to the limitations, such as high-power consumption, high operation voltage, and low retention capacity [1]. The emerging resistive random-access memory (RRAM) has elicited intense research as its simple sandwiched structure, including top electrode (TE) layer, bottom electrode (BE) layer, and an intermediate resistive switching (RS) layer, can store data using RS phenomenon between the high resistance state (HRS) and the low resistance state (LRS). This class of emerging devices is expected to outperform conventional memory devices [3]. Specifically, the advantages of RRAM include low-voltage operation, short programming time, great cyclic stability, and good scalability [4]. Among the materials for RS layer, indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) has attracted attention because of its abundance and high atomic diffusion property ofmore »oxygen atoms, transparency, and its easily modulated electrical properties by controlling the stoichiometric ratio of indium and gallium as well as oxygen potential in the sputter gas [5, 6]. Moreover, since the IGZO can be applied to both the thin-film transistor (TFT) channel and RS layer, the IGZO-based fully integrated transparent electronics are very promising [5]. In this work, we proposed transparent IGZO-based RRAMs. First, we chose ITO to serve as both TE and BE to achieve high transmittance in the visible regime of light. All three layers (TE, RS, BE layers) were deposited using a multi-target magnetron sputtering system on glass substrates to demonstrate fully transparent oxide-based devices. I-V characteristics were evaluated by a semiconductor parameter analyzer, and our devices showed typical butterfly curves indicating the bipolar RS property. And the IGZO-based RRAM can survive more than 50 continuous sweeping cycles. The optical transmission analysis was carried out via an UV-Vis spectrometer and the average transmittance around 80% out of entire devices in the visible-light wavelength range, implying high transparency. To investigate the thickness dependence on the properties of RS layer, 50nm, 100nm and 150nm RS layer of IGZO RRAM were fabricated. Also, the oxygen partial pressure during the sputtering of IGZO was varied to optimize the property because the oxygen vacancy concentration governs the RS and RRAM performance. Electrode selection is crucial and can impact the performance of the whole device [7]. Thus, Cu TE was chosen for our second type of device because the diffusion of Cu ions can be beneficial for the formation the conductive filament (CF). Finally, a ~5 nm SiO2 barrier layer was employed between TE and RS layers to confine the diffusion of Cu into the RS layer. At the same time, this SiO2 inserting layer can provide an additional interfacial series resistance in the device to lower the off current, consequently, improve the on/off ratio and whole performance. In conclusion, the transparent IGZO-based RRAMs were established. To tune the property of RS layer, the thickness layer and sputtering conditions of RS were adjusted. In order to engineer the diffusion capability of the TE material to the RS layer and the BE, a set of TE materials and a barrier layer were integrated in IGZO-based RRAM and the performance was compared. Our encouraging results clearly demonstrate that IGZO is a promising material in RRAM applications and overcoming the bottleneck of current memory technologies.« less
4. Influence of Oxygen Vacancy and Top Electrode on Switching Behavior of InGaZnO Based Resistive Random Access Memory

   Qin, Fei ; Lee, Sunghwan ( June 2022 , 64th Electronic Materials Conference)

   Biomimetic synaptic processes, which are imitated by functional memory devices in the computer industry, are a key focus of artificial intelligence (AI) research. It is critical to developing a memory technology that is compatible with Brain-Inspired Computing in order to eliminate the von Neumann bottleneck that restricts the efficiency of traditional computer designs. Due to restrictions such as high operation voltage, poor retention capacity, and high power consumption, silicon-based flash memory, which presently dominates the data storage devices market, is having difficulty meeting the requirements of future data storage device development. The developing resistive random-access memory (RRAM) has sparked intense investigation because of its simple two-terminal structure: two electrodes and a switching layer. RRAM has a resistive switching phenomenon which is a cycling behavior between the high resistance state and the low resistance state. This developing device type is projected to outperform traditional memory devices. Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) has attracted great attention for the RRAM switching layer because of its high transparency and high atomic diffusion property of oxygen atoms. More importantly, by controlling the oxygen ratio in the sputter gas, its electrical properties can be easily tuned. The IGZO has been applied to the thin-film transistor (TFT),more »thus, it is very promising to integrate RRAM with TFT. In this work, we proposed IGZO-based RRAMs. ITO was chosen as the bottom electrode towards achieving a fully transparent memristor. And for the IGZO switching layer, we varied the O2/Ar ratio during the deposition to modify the oxygen vacancy of IGZO. Through the XPS measurement, we confirmed that the higher O2/Ar ratio can lower the oxygen vacancy concentration. We also chose ITO as the top electrode, for the comparison, two active metals copper and silver were tested for the top electrode materials. For our IGZO layer, the best ratio of O2/Ar is the middle value. And copper top electrode device has the most stable cycling switching and the silver one is perfect for large memory window, however, it encounters a stability issue. The optical transmission examination was performed using a UV-Vis spectrometer, and the average transmittance of the complete devices in the visible-light wavelength range was greater than 90%, indicating good transparency. 50nm, 100nm, and 150nm RS layers of IGZO RRAM were produced to explore the thickness dependency on the characteristics of the RS layer. Also, because the oxygen vacancy concentration influences the RS and RRAM performance, the oxygen partial pressure during IGZO sputtering was modified to maximize the property. Electrode selection is critical and can have a significant influence on the device's overall performance. As a result, Cu TE was chosen for our second type of device because Cu ion diffusion can aid in the development of conductive filaments (CF). Finally, between the TE and RS layers, a 5 nm SiO2 barrier layer was used to limit Cu penetration into the RS layer. Simultaneously, this SiO2 inserting layer can offer extra interfacial series resistance in the device, lowering the off current and, as a result, improving the on/off ratio and overall performance. In conclusion, transparent IGZO-based RRAMs have been created. The thickness of the RS layer and the sputtering conditions of the RS layer were modified to tailor the property of the RS layer. A series of TE materials and a barrier layer were incorporated into an IGZO-based RRAM and the performance was evaluated in order to design the TE material's diffusion capabilities to the RS layer and the BE. Our positive findings show that IGZO is a potential material for RRAM applications and overcoming the existing memory technology limitation.« less
5. Analysis of Schottky barrier heights and reduced Fermi-level pinning in monolayer CVD-grown MoS ₂ field-effect-transistors

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ac55d2  

   Xie, Jing ; Patoary, Naim Md ; Zhou, Guantong ; Sayyad, Mohammed Yasir ; Tongay, Sefaattin ; Esqueda, Ivan Sanchez ( March 2022 , Nanotechnology)

   Abstract Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown monolayer (ML) molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) is a promising material for next-generation integrated electronic systems due to its capability of high-throughput synthesis and compatibility with wafer-scale fabrication. Several studies have described the importance of Schottky barriers in analyzing the transport properties and electrical characteristics of MoS 2 field-effect-transistors (FETs) with metal contacts. However, the analysis is typically limited to single devices constructed from exfoliated flakes and should be verified for large-area fabrication methods. In this paper, CVD-grown ML MoS 2 was utilized to fabricate large-area (1 cm × 1 cm) FET arrays. Two different types of metal contacts (i.e. Cr/Au and Ti/Au) were used to analyze the temperature-dependent electrical characteristics of ML MoS 2 FETs and their corresponding Schottky barrier characteristics. Statistical analysis provides new insight about the properties of metal contacts on CVD-grown MoS 2 compared to exfoliated samples. Reduced Schottky barrier heights (SBH) are obtained compared to exfoliated flakes, attributed to a defect-induced enhancement in metallization of CVD-grown samples. Moreover, the dependence of SBH on metal work function indicates a reduction in Fermi level pinning compared to exfoliated flakes, moving towards the Schottky–Mott limit. Optical characterization reveals higher defect concentrations in CVD-grownmore »samples supporting a defect-induced metallization enhancement effect consistent with the electrical SBH experiments.« less