Unipolar resistive switching effect and mechanism of solution-processed spinel Co3O4 thin films

• Binary spinel Co3O4 thin films were fabricated by using chemical solution deposition method.
• The Pt/Co3O4/Pt device exhibited unipolar resistive switching behaviors.
• The resistive switching performance and conduction mechanism of Pt/Co3O4/Pt device were investigated.
• Unipolar resistive switching effect of Pt/Co3O4/Pt device was explained by the conducting filament model.

Binary spinel Co3O4 thin films with smooth surface were fabricated by using chemical solution deposition method and unipolar resistive switching characteristics including set and reset switching voltages, low and high resistance ratio, cycling endurance, and retention time were investigated in the Pt/Co3O4/Pt sandwich structures. Through the analysis of conductive mechanism and temperature dependence of resistance states, it was suggested that Ohmic conduction behavior governed the carriers transport in low resistance state and Schottky emission dominated the conduction mechanism in high resistance state, respectively. Moreover, the switching mechanism was explained by the formation and rupture of conductive filament during the set and reset processes. This study suggests that the solution-processed spinel Co3O4 thin films could find potential application in nonvolatile resistive switching memory.

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