Bipolar resistive switching with self-rectifying effects in Al/ZnO/Si structure

We report the electrical characteristics of room-temperature-fabricated Al/ZnO/Si memory devices. Stable and reproducible clockwise bipolar resistive switching phenomena with self-rectifying effects in the low resistance state were observed in this complementary metal oxide semiconductor compatible memory structure. The current-voltage curve in different temperatures and the corresponding Arrhenius plot confirm the semiconducting conduction behavior of both the high resistance state and the low resistance state. The conduction mechanisms are explained by the Poole-Frenkel emission and space-charge-limited conduction mechanisms for the high resistance state and the low resistance state, respectively. It is proposed that the resistive switching originates from the formation and dissolution of the AlOx barrier layer which are induced by the migration of the oxygen ions. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3672811]