Internal filament modulation in low-dielectric gap design for built-in selector-less resistive switching memory application

Sneak path current is a severe hindrance for the application of high-density resistive random-access memory (RRAM) array designs. In this work, we demonstrate nonlinear (NL) resistive switching characteristics of a HfO_x/SiO_x-based stacking structure as a realization for selector-less RRAM devices. The NL characteristic was obtained and designed by optimizing the internal filament location with a low effective dielectric constant in the HfO_x/SiO_x structure. The stacking HfO_x/SiO_x-based RRAM device as the one-resistor-only memory cell is applicable without needing an additional selector device to solve the sneak path issue with a switching voltage of ∼1 V, which is desirable for low-power operating in built-in nonlinearity crossbar array configurations. (paper)