Active layer nitrogen doping technique with excellent thermal stability for resistive switching memristor

In this study, we propose a thermally stable memristor with nitrogen-doped hafnium oxide (HfO:N)-based resistive switching (RS) memory. The memristor with HfO:N as an active layer showed only a 7% change in the resistance in the high resistance state (HRS) after post-metal annealing (PMA) at 400 & DEG;C for 1 h. In contrast, the HfO2-based memristor exhibited an 83% change in the resistance at HRS after PMA at 400 & DEG;C for 1 h and lost RS operating characteristics after PMA over 400 & DEG;C. In addition, although the resistance of the HRS decreased by 80% after PMA at 550 & DEG;C for 1 h, the HfO:N-based memristor showed that the RS operation was maintained up to 550 & DEG;C. Through the nitrogen doping technique, a thermal budget of 550 & DEG;C can be achieved, which is one of the highest thermal budgets in RS memory with PMA. Such thermal stability enhancement of the memristor is a result of nitrogen doping, which improves the structural stability of the active layer and suppresses the gener-ation of oxygen vacancies in the active layer. This experimental approach can facilitate the development of advanced memristor devices with a good thermal budget of up to 550 & DEG;C.