Improved Uniformity of Resistive Switching Behaviors in HfO2 Thin Films with Embedded Al Layers

A technical solution is presented to improve the uniformity of HfO2-based resistive switching memory by embedding thin Al layers between HfO2 and electrode layers. Compared with those pure HfO2 devices, a remarkably improved uniformity of switching parameters such as forming voltages, set voltages, and resistances in high/low states was demonstrated in the HfO2 devices with embedded Al layers. Al atoms are assumed to diffuse into HfO2 thin films and are intended to localize oxygen vacancies due to reduced oxygen vacancy formation energy, thus stabilizing the generation of conductive filaments, which helps improve the resistive switching uniformity. (C) 2009 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3267050] All rights reserved.