Resistive switching behavior of sol-gel deposited TiO2 thin films under different heating ambience

Abstract

We prepared anatase TiO2 films by sol-gel method under three thermal firing conditions to investigate the bipolar resistive switching (BRS) and unipolar resistive switching CURS) in Ag/TiO2/Pt structure. The devices are URS in an air atmosphere at 760 Torr, while those in an oxygen ambience at 1 Torr show BRS accompanying with forming-free and self-compliance. By examining the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectrum, different non-lattice oxygen content is observed. High concentration of oxygen vacancy is expected under oxygen-deficient treatment, and that would determine the electrode/oxide interface property and induce switching mode of polarity dependent or not. An improved performance of operation voltage dispersion down to 0.5 V and endurance up to 3000 cycles is obtained for those in reducing Ar. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.