Study of the Resistive Switching Effect in Chromium Oxide Thin Films by Use of Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy

Reversible resistive switching of Cr2O3 films was studied by use of conductive atomic force microscopy. Resistive switching in Cr2O3 films occurs as a result of Ag filament paths formed during electrochemical redox reactions. A large memory density of 100 Tbit/sq. inch was achieved with a small filament diameter of 2.9 nm under the action of a compliance current of 10 nA. A fast switching speed of 10 ns, high scalability, and low set/reset currents suggest that Cr2O3-based resistive memory is suitable for nanoscale devices.