Identification of the generation/rupture mechanism of filamentary conductive paths in ReRAM devices using oxide failure analysis

Constant (CVS) and ramped (RVS) voltage stress data are combined with the aim of identifying the acceleration law that drives the generation and rupture of filamentary conductive paths in HfO2-based ReRAM devices. The acceleration factor integral (AFI) method is used to find the equivalency between RVS and CVS in order to compare the SET and RESET events statistics and determine the adequacy of different degradation models frequently considered in oxide failure analysis: voltage power-law, E-model, and 1/E-model. The obtained results indicate that the E-model, with E the local electric field, exhibits the lowest dispersion in the acceleration factor values both for the SET and RESET transitions as well as the best overall consistency.