Metal oxide resistive switching memory: Materials, properties and switching mechanisms

With the continuously changing landscape of the computer technologies, a new memory type is needed that will be fast, energy efficient and long-lasting. It shall combine the speed of random access memory (RAM) and non-volatile in the same time. Resistive RAM (RRAM) is one of the most promising candidates in this respect. RRAM has attracted a great deal of attention owing to its potential as a possible replacement for flash memory in next-generation nonvolatile memory (NVM) applications. A brief summary of binary metal oxide RRAM is given in this review. We discuss the RRAM technology development based on published papers, including the mechanism of resistive switching in transition metal oxides, resistive switching materials, device structure, properties, and reliability such as endurance and retention of the device. We also provide possible solutions through innovations in device materials, structures, and understanding the device physics.