Abstract:

    The impressive growth of the market for portable systems has been sustained by the availability of successful semiconductor non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies, in which the Flash memories are the key technology. However, the future scaling down of Flash memory is facing crucial problems, mainly due to the tunnel oxide which can not be further thinned down without impairing data retention. To overcome the problems of current NVM technology, a variety of alternative memory concepts are explored. Resistance random access memory (RRAM) has attracted increasing attention because of the advantages in its fabrication process as well as its outstanding device performance like high speed, high density, and low power. This presentation is aimed to introduce a series of characterization methodologies which bridges the microscopic properties of material at interfaces with the macroscopic characteristics of a semiconductor device. The objective of this talk focuses on decoding the mechanism of the transition from insulator-to-conductor, and reversely conductor-to-insulator, when a nanoscaled conductive path is formed and ruptured