%AShallcross, Austin%AMahalingam, Krishnamurthy%AShin, Eunsung%ASubramanyam, Guru%AAlam, Md%ATaha, Tarek%AGanguli, Sabyasachi%ABowers, Cynthia%AAthey, Benson%AHilton, Albert%ARoy, Ajit%ADhall, Rohan%BJournal Name: Frontiers in Electronics; Journal Volume: 3 %D2022%I %JJournal Name: Frontiers in Electronics; Journal Volume: 3 %K %MOSTI ID: 10391562 %PMedium: X %TTransmission Electron Microscopy Study on the Effect of Thermal and Electrical Stimuli on Ge2Te3 Based Memristor Devices %XMemristor devices fabricated using the chalcogenide Ge 2 Te 3 phase change thin films in a metal-insulator-metal structure are characterized using thermal and electrical stimuli in this study. Once the thermal and electrical stimuli are applied, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) analyses are performed to determine structural and compositional changes in the devices. Electrical measurements on these devices showed a need for increasing compliance current between cycles to initiate switching from low resistance state (LRS) to high resistance state (HRS). The measured resistance in HRS also exhibited a steady decrease with increase in the compliance current. High resolution TEM studies on devices in HRS showed the presence of residual crystalline phase at the top-electrode/dielectric interface, which may explain the observed dependence on compliance current. XEDS study revealed diffusion related processes at dielectric-electrode interface characterized, by the separation of Ge 2 Te 3 into Ge- and Te- enriched interfacial layers. This was also accompanied by spikes in O level at these regions. Furthermore, in-situ heating experiments on as-grown thin films revealed a deleterious effect of Ti adhesive layer, wherein the in-diffusion of Ti leads to further degradation of the dielectric layer. This experimental physics-based study shows that the large HRS/LRS ratio below the current compliance limit of 1 mA and the ability to control the HRS and LRS by varying the compliance current are attractive for memristor and neuromorphic computing applications. %0Journal Article