Metrology and physical mechanisms in new generation ionic devices : Doctoral Thesis accepted by the KU Leuven and IMEC, Belgium

This thesis presents the first direct observations of the 3D-shape, size and electrical properties of nanoscale filaments, made possible by a new Scanning Probe Microscopy-based tomography technique referred to as scalpel SPM. Using this innovative technology and nm-scale observations, the author achieves essential insights into the filament formation mechanisms, improves the understanding required for device optimization, and experimentally observes phenomena that had previously been only theoretically proposed. The thesis presents the first direct observations of the 3D-shape, size and electrical properties of nanoscale filaments, made possible by a new Scanning Probe Microscopy-based tomography technique referred to as scalpel SPM. Using this innovative technology and nm-scale observations, the author achieves essential insights into the filament formation mechanisms, improves the understanding required for device optimization, and experimentally observes phenomena that had previously been only theoretically proposed. Front Matter....Pages i-xxiv Introduction....Pages 1-9 Filamentary-Based Resistive Switching....Pages 11-45 Nanoscaled Electrical Characterization....Pages 47-86 Conductive Filaments: Formation, Observation and Manipulation....Pages 87-113 Three-Dimensional Filament Observation....Pages 115-142 Reliability Threats in CBRAM....Pages 143-150 Conclusions and Outlook....Pages 151-160 Back Matter....Pages 161-175