Carrier transport mechanism and bipolar resistive switching behavior of a nano-scale thin film TiO2 memristor

A titanium dioxide (TiO2) based memristor device having an active layer thickness of 10 nm was fabricated using radio frequency (RF) reactive sputtering and its resistive switching characteristics and carrier transport mechanisms were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to confirm the structural properties of the device. Measurement of the time-dependent current-voltage (I-V-t) was used to characterize resistive switching and memristive behavior. The characteristic pinched hysteresis I-V loops of the memristor were apparent. Bipolar and homogeneous resistive switching characteristics and a forming voltage of 2 V were detected in the device. The retention time exceeded 103 s and the endurance test was reasonably acceptable. In addition, the carrier transport mechanism of the device was revealed. The linear region of the low electric field demonstrated ohmic behavior, whereas the non-linear high electric field region was dominated by a Schottky emission carrier transport mechanism. A Poole-Frenkel emission mechanism acted as a secondary conduction mechanism. It was proposed that the Poole-Frenkel and Schottky emission mechanisms were associated with oxygen vacancies in the TiO2.