Photolithography-free Ge–Se based memristive arrays; materials characterization and device testing

Abstract

The focus of this work is on the formation of a lithography-free redox conductive bridge memristor array, comprised of different compositions of GexSe1−x chalcogenide glasses with the aim of selecting the chalcogenide material that provides the best performance. Various memristive arrays were fabricated on a metal–chalcogenide–metal stack. This structure offers high device density with the simplest configuration and allows access to each nano redox conductive bridge device. It was found that the device stability and threshold voltage were a function of the chalcogenide glass composition, with the Ge-rich film contributing to the best device performance, which is attributed to the formation of rigid structure and the availability of Ge–Ge bonds. Additionally, these parameters were dependent on the thickness and the surface roughness of the chalcogenide glass. Application of a nonlithography method for fabricating the array structure offered excellent yield, stable ON–OFF states and good uniformity. This demonstration, along with success achieved at the single cell level, suggests that the redox conductive bridge memristor is well positioned for ultrahigh performance memory and logic applications.