Low voltage cycling of programmable metallization cell memory devices

Comparison of the Electrical Response of Cu and Ag Ion-Conducting SDC Memristors Over the Temperature Range 6 K to 300 K

Electrical performance of self-directed channel (SDC) ion-conducting memristors which use Ag and Cu as the mobile ion source are compared over the temperature range of 6 K to 300 K. The Cu-based SDC memristors operate at temperatures as low as 6 K, whereas Ag-based SDC memristors are damaged if operated below 125 K. It is also observed that Cu reversibly diffuses into the active Ge2Se3 layer during normal device shelf-life, thus changing the state of a Cu-based memristor over time. This was not observed for the Ag-based SDC devices. The response of each device type to sinusoidal excitation is provided and shows that the Cu-based devices exhibit hysteresis lobe collapse at lower frequencies than the Ag-based devices. In addition, the pulsed response of the device types is presented.