Resistive switching properties for fluorine doped titania fabricated using atomic layer deposition

This study demonstrates a new resistive switching material, F-doped TiO2 (F:TiO2), fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) with an in-house fluorine source for resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices. Controlling oxygen vacancies is required since RRAM uses resistive switching (RS) characteristics by redistributing oxygen ions in oxide, and poor oxygen defect control has been shown to significantly reduce RRAM reliability. Therefore, this study designed an F based RRAM device using fluorine anions rather than oxygen defect for the main agent of RS behavior. We developed the F:TiO2 RRAM material using a novel in situ doping method in ALD and investigated its RS behaviors. The Pt/F:TiO2/Pt device exhibited forming-less bipolar RS and self-rectifying behavior by fluorine anion migration, effectively reducing the sneak current in crossbar array architecture RRAM. The doped fluorine passivated and reduced oxygen related defects in TiO2, confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Adopting the F-based RS material by ALD provides a viable candidate for high reliability RRAM. (c) 2022 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the use of F-doped TiO2 material for resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices, showing improved reliability by controlling oxygen vacancies and utilizing fluorine anions for resistive switching behavior instead of oxygen defects. The in situ doping method in atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to develop the material, resulting in reduced sneak current and passivation of oxygen-related defects in TiO2. This approach provides a promising candidate for high reliability RRAM devices.