Embedded measurement of the SET switching time of RRAM memory cells

This paper presents an embedded measurement circuit dedicated to the extraction of the SET switching time of RRAM memory cells. A brief overview of the measurement circuit, designed in a hybrid 130nm technology with HfO2 BEoL RRAMs, is given with emphasis on the write termination (WT) mechanism and the switching time acquisition thanks to a Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) shift and capture mechanism. The experimental test set-up and test conditions are then described, including automated measurement script. Following our test procedure, we are able to extract the measured RRAM resistance values and the associated SET switching times, using a de-embedding process. Resistances and SET switching time values fully complies with the ones obtained in the literature through heavy waveguide measurement setups, validating our approach.