A journey towards reliability improvement of TiO2 based Resistive Random Access Memory: A review

A Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM), where the memory performance principally originated from 'resistive' change rather than 'capacitive' one (the case with conventional CMOS memory devices), has attracted researchers across the globe, owing to its unique features and advantages meeting the demands of future generation high-speed, ultra low power, nano dimensional memory devices. A large family of semiconducting oxides have been investigated as insulator for Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM), amongst which TiO2 is one of the potential candidate, principally owing to some of its remarkable advantages e.g. wide band gap, high temperature stability and high dielectric constant with flexibility to offer both unipolar and bipolar switching, which are essential for RRAM device applications. In this review article, we tried to represent the long voyage of TiO2 based RRAM, towards the improvement of the reliability aspects of the device performance in a comprehensive manner. Starting with the key factors like oxygen vacancies, Ti interstitials and electroforming, which are responsible for resistive switching phenomenon, various material preparation techniques for RRAM development have been discussed with emphasis on relative merits and bottlenecks of the process. The factors like electrode material and geometry, device structuring, doping, compliance current, annealing effect etc., which play the pivotal role in determining the switching performance of the device, have been reviewed critically. Finally, the article concludes with the comparison of different TiO2 based RRAM devices followed by the prediction of possible future research trends. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.