Resistive Switching Mechanisms in Silica Nanoparticle Composites

In this work, we investigate the resistive switching properties of three ReRAM models based on heterojunction structures of Pt/SiOx nanoparticles(NP)/Si, Cu/SiOx NP/Si, and Si/SiOx NP/Si, in which dielectric layers of the silica nanoparticles present dislocations at bicrystal interfaces. Our analysis of the electrical, thermal, and structural aspects of resistive switching revealed that switching behavior depends on the material properties and electrical characteristics of the switching layers, as well as the metal electrodes and the interfacial structure of grains within the dielectric materials. We also determined that the application of an external electric field at grain boundaries is crucial to resistive switching behavior. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed the mechanism underlying resistance switching. Our results indicate that this behavior is influenced by variations in the atomic structure and electronic properties, at the atomic length scale and picosecond time scale. Our findings provide useful reference for the future development and optimization of materials used in this technology.