Development of self-rectifying ZnO thin film resistive switching memory device using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method

In the present report, a simple and cost-effective successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method is employed to develop self-rectifying ZnO thin film memory device. The nature of pinched hysteresis loop and frequency dependent I-V characteristics depicts that the developed device behaves like a memristive device. Moreover, significant pinched hysteresis loop at 1MHz was observed which could be further exploited for the development of new class of high-frequency circuits by using ZnO memristive device. The observed analog memory with scan rate dependent synaptic weights behavior suggests that the ZnO memristive device is a potential candidate for the development of electronic synaptic devices for neuromorphic computing application. Furthermore, multilevel resistive switching with good memory window was obtained at 0.2V read voltage. The developed device switched successfully in consecutive 10k resistive switching cycles and can retain multilevel resistance states over 1000s without any observable degradation in the resistance states. The insights drawn from electrical characterization indicates that the device charge and charge-magnetic flux relations depend upon the frequency of the applied signal. Furthermore, we have presented the criteria for differentiating the experimental device as a memristor or memristive device based on the nature of time domain charge and double valued charge-magnetic flux relation. The resistive switching effect of the present device is manifested due to the unified effect of the Ohmic and Schottky conduction mechanisms.