Ti6O11 nanofiber: A new material with robust switching characteristic for memories

•A new method was developed toward fabricating monophase TinO2n−1 nanofibers.•Ti6O11 nanofibers were successfully fabricated with precise phase control.•Accurate shaping of one-dimensional Ti6O11 phase nanostructures was achieved.•Ti6O11-based microelectronic device exhibited robust switching characteristic.•Such a novel nanofiber can be potentially used as a new material in memories.

Magneli phases of titanium oxide (TinO2n−1, n = 4-10) have tremendous potential for application in electronics. However, limited by their currently available fabrication methods, most of the products were a mixture of stoichoimetries. The functionality of a pure monophase is far from sufficiently exploited. This paper reports a simple and controllable method for manufacturing continuous Ti6O11 nanofibers with precise phase control. Moreover, the procedure employed also paves a way for producing other magneli phases in a pure form, such as Ti9O17. The resultant Ti6O11 nanofibers were further assembled into miniaturized electronic device. For the first time, the Ti6O11 nanofibers exhibited robust switching characteristic. The ON/OFF current ratio under repetitive writing and erasing conditions can reach up to 102. Such a novel nanofiber can be potentially used as a new material in memories.

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