Electric field induced manipulation of resistive and magnetization switching in Pt/NiFe1.95Cr0.05O4/Pt memory devices

In this letter, both resistive and magnetization switching were realized in Pt/NiFe1.95Cr0.05O4 (Cr-NFO)/Pt devices by the manipulation applied electric field process, where a Cr-NFO switching layer was prepared by a facile chemical solution process method. The Cr-NFO based devices exhibited stable unipolar switching behavior, uniform operating voltages, good endurance (>10(3) cycles), large ON/OFF memory window (>10(2)), and excellent retention characteristic time (>10(5) s at 25 degrees C). Meanwhile, the saturation magnetization of Cr-NFO based devices showed reversible switching in different resistance states. The significant change between the high magnetization state and the low magnetization state could reach as high as approximate to 50% during resistive switching operation. The ON-OFF switching can be achieved at room temperature in resistive and magnetization switching. The proposed physical mechanism of resistive and magnetized switching of Cr-NFO based devices was related to the formation and rupture of conduction filaments consisting of oxygen vacancies and cations, which was based on the conversion of Fe (Fe3+ Fe2+) and Cr (Cr3+ Cr4+) valence change, redox reaction, and Joule heating effects. The coexistence of resistive and magnetization switching in ferrite thin film based devices has potential application in nonvolatile memory and magneto-electric coupling devices.