Electrode engineering for improving resistive switching performance in single crystalline CeO2 thin films

We have studied the electrode effect on the resistive switching behavior in the single crystalline films of CeO2 grown on Nb–SrTiO3. The fabricated devices with the top electrode made of non-reactive metals (Ag, Au, Pt) show bipolar resistive switching but are volatile. In contrast, the devices with top electrodes made of reactive metals (Al, Ta, Ti) present different bipolar resistive switching direction and are non-volatile, with Ta one having the best in OFF/ON switching ratio. The devices with these kinds of electrodes also exhibit remarkably different rectification behavior because of the difference of electrode/CeO2 interface formation. These results demonstrate that it is possible to improve the performance of resistive switching by electrode engineering.

► Performance of CeO2 based resistive switching devices depends on top electrodes.
► Devices with non-reactive top electrodes (Ag, Au, Pt) shows “Eightwise”.
► Devices with reactive metal top electrodes (Al, Ta, Ti) shows “Counter-Eightwise”.
► (Ag, Au, Pt)/CeO2/NSTO are volatile, but (Al, Ta, Ti)/CeO2/NSTO are non-volatile.
► Properties of top electrodes affect the OFF/ON ratio.