Resistive switching in Ag–TiO2 contacts

We study the electric pulse induced resistance switching of TiO₂–Ag contacts at room temperature, exploring both unipolar and bipolar switching modes. Initially we observed unipolar response. After hundred pulsing cycles the unipolar switching response vanishes but the device can still be operated in bipolar switching regime. The underlying mechanism for resistance switching is modeled in terms of formation and rupture of filament, and movement of oxygen vacancies.     

Effect of cation and anion defects on the resistive switching polarity of ZnO x thin films

In this paper, we achieve the resistive switching (RS) polarity from unipolar to bipolar in a simple Al/ZnO _x /Al structure by moderating the oxygen content in the ZnO sputtering process. In a pure Ar sputtering, Al/ZnO _x /Al shows unipolar behavior, as oxygen partial pressure increases, the RS polarity changes to bipolar, and the switch current decreases by about five orders of magnitude. The current transport properties of unipolar device show ohmic behavior under both high resistance (HRS) and low resistance states (LRS), but the bipolar device shows Schottky barrier modulated current transport properties. We study the defect types in the unipolar and bipolar devices through photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The PL results show that the interstitial zinc (Zn_i) and interstitial oxygen (O_i) are dominant in unipolar and bipolar devices, respectively. We attribute this phenomenon to Zn_i and O_i playing important role in unipolar (URS) and bipolar resistive switching (BRS), respectively.     

Coexistence of unipolar and bipolar modes in Ag/ZnO/Pt resistive switching memory with oxygen-vacancy and metal-Ag filaments

In this study, the unipolar resistive switching(URS) and bipolar resistive switching(BRS) are demonstrated to be coexistent in the Ag/Zn O/Pt memory device, and both modes are observed to strongly depend on the polarity of forming voltage. The mechanisms of the URS and BRS behaviors could be attributed to the electric-field-induced migration of oxygen vacancies(VO) and metal-Ag conducting filaments(CFs) respectively, which are confirmed by investigating the temperature dependences of low resistance states in both modes. Furthermore, we compare the resistive switching(RS)characteristics(e.g., forming and switching voltages, reset current and resistance states) between these two modes based on VO- and Ag-CFs. The BRS mode shows better switching uniformity and lower power than the URS mode. Both of these modes exhibit good RS performances, including good retention, reliable cycling and high-speed switching. The result indicates that the coexistence of URS and BRS behaviors in a single device has great potential applications in future nonvolatile multi-level memory.     

基于Au/TiO_2/FTO结构忆阻器的开关特性与机理研究

采用简单的一步水热法在FTO导电玻璃上外延生长了锐钛矿TiO_2纳米线,制备了具有Au/TiO_2/FTO器件结构的锐钛矿TiO_2纳米线忆阻器,系统研究了器件的阻变开关特性和开关机理.结果表明,Au/TiO_2/FTO忆阻器具有非易失的双极性阻变开关特性.同时,在103s的时间内,器件在0.1 V的电阻开关比始终保持在20以上,表明器件具有良好的非易失性.此外,器件在低阻态时遵循欧姆导电特性,而在高阻态时则满足陷阱控制的空间电荷限制电流传导机制,同时提出了基于氧空位导电细丝形成与断开机制的阻变开关模型.研究结果表明Au/TiO_2/FTO忆阻器将是一种很有发展潜力的下一代非易失性存储器.     

Multi-polar resistance switching and memory effect in copper phthalocyanine junctions

Copper phthalocyanine junctions, fabricated by magnetron sputtering and evaporating methods, show multi-polar （unipolar and bipolar） resistance switching and the memory effect. The multi-polar resistance switching has not been observed simultaneously in one organic material before. With both electrodes being cobalt, the unipolar resistance switching is universal. The high resistance state is switched to the low resistance state when the bias reaches the set voltage. Generally, the set voltage increases with the thickness of copper phthalocyanine and decreases with increasing dwell time of bias. Moreover, the low resistance state could be switched to the high resistance state by absorbing the phonon energy. The stability of the low resistance state could be tuned by different electrodes. In Au/copper phthalocyanine/Co system, the low resistance state is far more stable, and the bipolar resistance switching is found. Temperature dependence of electrical transport measurements demonstrates that there are no obvious differences in the electrical transport mechanism before and after the resistance switching. They fit quite well with Mott variable range hopping theory. The effect of A1203 on the resistance switching is excluded by control experiments. The holes trapping and detrapping in copper phthalocyanine layer are responsible for the resistance switching, and the interfacial effect between electrodes and copper phthalocyanine layer affects the memory effect.     

Photo-excitation of single crystals of La2CuO4+δ near the metal-insulator transition

Transient photoconductivity (σ_ph) experiments have been carried out in single crystals of insulating La₂CuO_4+δ near the metal-insulator transition (δ≈ 1–2%). The time evolution of the σ_ph changes dramatically with light intensity (I_L). At low I_L, σ_ph is characterized by power law time decay, t⁻, in the nanosecond time regime, and the exponent, , decreases significantly with increasing I_L. As I_L increases to 5 × 10¹⁵ photons/cm₂, σ_ph reaches 15 S/cm, and the lifetime of the conducting state is enhanced by more than two orders of magnitude: σ_ph exhibits a delayed peak centered at approximately 30 ns. followed by exponential decay with time constant of 360 ns. The data reveal a continuous distribution of localized electronic states above the (hole) mobility edge; the M-I transition is achieved when the Fermi level is shifted away from the localized states and across the mobility edge either by chemical dopiing or by photo-excitation. The time of σ_ph at high I_L implies the formation of metastable metallic droplets after photo-excitation.     

Nb/Au/(1 1 0)YBa2Cu3O7−δ Josephson junctions: evidence against atomic scaled “corner junctions”

We report on I–V characteristics for in situ formed Nb/Au/(1 1 0)YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ (YBCO) Josephson junction, where the homoepitaxial (1 1 0)YBCO film shows ultra-smooth surface morphology. The field dependence of critical supercurrent I_c shows anisotropic large junction behavior with normal Fraunhofer patterns expected from BCS model of d_x²−y² wave superconductors. This strongly suggests that the Nb/Au/(1 1 0)YBCO junctions cannot be regarded as atomic scaled corner junctions, in contrast with (0 0 1)/(1 1 0)YBCO grain boundary junctions to show “π-junction” with a pronounced dip near zero fields in field modulation of I_c.     

Any-polar resistive switching behavior in Ti-intercalated Pt/Ti/HfO2/Ti/Pt device

The special any-polar resistive switching mode includes the coexistence and stable conversion between the unipolar and the bipolar resistive switching mode under the same compliance current. In the present work, the any-polar resistive switching mode is demonstrated when thin Ti intercalations are introduced into both sides of Pt/HfO₂/Pt RRAM device. The role of the Ti intercalations contributes to the fulfillment of the any-polar resistive switching working mechanism, which lies in the filament constructed by the oxygen vacancies and the effective storage of the oxygen ion at both sides of the electrode interface.     

Superconducting properties of ZnO-doped (Bi, Pb)-2223 thick film on Ni and NiO substrates prepared by spray deposition technique

The superconductivity of ZnO-doped (Bi, Pb)-2223 thick film on the Ni and NiO substrates, which was prepared by the spray deposition technique with cold forging, was investigated by characterizing the critical current density (J_c), the critical temperature (T_c), the orientation factor (f), and the microstructure of the film. The thickness of the thick film prepared by the spray deposition method was approximately 10 μm. The maximum J_c value of (Bi, Pb)-2223 film on NiO substrate was approximately 2200 A/cm² (I_c = 110 mA) when the film was sintered at 865 °C for 1 h with a cooling rate of 0.5 °C/min from 865 °C to 650 °C; in the case of Ni substrate, a maximum J_c value of approximately 2000 A/cm² (I_c = 100 mA) was obtained for the (Bi, Pb)-2223 thick film when a cooling rate was 3 °C/min. Such a difference in the J_c values of (Bi, Pb)-2223 thick film on Ni and NiO substrates is attributed to the presence of reaction layer at the (Bi, Pb)-2223 and substrate interface. In addition, the variations in the orientation factor of (Bi, Pb)-2223 thick film on NiO substrate related to those of J_c values. The J_c values of (Bi, Pb)-2223 film on NiO substrate with ZnO doping extremely depended on the amount of ZnO doping and the 0.5 wt% ZnO-doped (Bi, Pb)-2223 thick film deposited on NiO substrate, which was sintered at 835 °C for 1 h in air with a cooling rate of 1 °C/min, showed a J_c value of approximately 1200 A/cm² (I_c = 60 mA). Thus, it is considered that a small amount of ZnO doping was effective in lowering the sintering temperature of (Bi, Pb)-2223 thick film, resulting the improvement in the intragranular weak bonding or Josephson junction.     

Nd0.7Sr0.3MnO3陶瓷中界面“陷阱态”相关电阻转变行为

通过固相烧结和高能球磨后热处理两种方法分别得到不具晶(相)界和具有明显晶(相)界的两种Nd_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃陶瓷样品, 并用两线法和四线法分别对这两种样品的电极-块体接触界面和晶(相)界界面的I-V和电脉冲诱导电阻转变效应(EPIR)进行研究. 结果发现, 在两线法测试下, 电极-块体界面具有回滞的非线性I-V特征, 并能产生稳定的EPIR效应, EPIR的稳定性随温度的升高逐渐减弱并消失; 而对具有明显晶(相)界的陶瓷样品, 四线法测试结果表明, 虽然其I-V行为也具有非线性和回滞性特点, 但不能产生EPIR 效应. 这些奇特的界面输运行为与界面中的各种缺陷充当“陷阱”并实现对载流子的捕捉和释放过程密切相关. 而大量的晶(相)界界面及其复杂的连接方式导致较大的漏导则是晶(相)界不能出现EPIR效应的主要原因.     

Time evolution of interface roughness during thermal oxidation on Si(0 0 1)

The surface morphological change at an initial stage of thermal oxidation on Si(0 0 1) surface with O₂ was investigated as a function of oxide coverage by a real-time monitoring method of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) combined with reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). At 653 °C where oxide islands grow laterally, protrusions were observed to develop under the oxide islands as a consequence of concurrent etching of the surface. The rate of etching was measured from a periodic oscillation of RHEED half-order spot intensity I_(1/2,0) and I_(0,1/2). At 549 °C where Langmuir-type adsorption proceeds, it was observed that both I_(1/2,0) and I_(0,1/2) decrease more rapidly in comparison with an increase of oxide coverage and the intensity ratio between them decreases gradually with O₂ exposure time. These suggest that Langmuir-type adsorption occurs at sites where O₂ adsorbs randomly, leading to subdivision of the 2×1 and 1×2 domains by oxidized regions, and that Si atoms are ejected due to volume expansion in oxidation to change the ratio between 2×1 and 1×2 domains.     

Asymmetric double-barrier S–I1–N–I2–S Josephson heterojunctions: experiment and theory

Double-barrier highly asymmetric Nb–Al oxide–Al–Nb oxide–Nb structures with reproducible characteristics were fabricated. The heterocontacts with the middle Al layer thickness ranging from 4 to 6 nm exhibited a well-defined d.c. Josephson supercurrent I_c at 4.2 K and characteristic voltages V_c=I_cR_N (R_N is the normal resistance, V_c defines the response time of the junction) from 0.3 to 0.4 mV. Two prominent features in the quasiparticle current–voltage curves have been observed: a so-called ‘knee' in the energy-gap region and an additional (to the linear voltage dependence) current at higher biases. They are discussed within a simple Landauer–Büttiker scattering approach to the phase-coherent quasiparticle transport in a quasiballistic S–I₁–N–I₂–S heterostructure with an extremely great difference between the barrier transparencies.     

Intensity dependence of two-center nonvolatile holographic recording in LiNbO3:Cu:Ce crystals

Nonvolatile photorefractive gratings have been recorded in LiNbO₃:Cu:Ce crystals by using a He–Ne laser (633 nm) for recording and an argon ion laser (458 nm) for sensitizing. The sensitizing light increases the recording sensitivity by a−bexp(−I_s/c) and saturation behavior will appear with high enough intensity of sensitizing light. The recording light increases the slope of η^1/2 as a function of time during the initial stages of hologram formation by sublinear I^x_r (x<1) and thus the recording light decreases the recording sensitivity. The dependence of saturation diffraction efficiency on the intensities of the recording and sensitizing light shows that there is a maximum dynamic range of the recording process.     

In-band M1 and E2 transition rates and collective structures in Ba

Subpicosecond mean lifetimes of eight excited states in ¹²⁸Ba populated via the ⁹⁶Zr(³⁶S,4n) reaction were measured by the Doppler-shift attenuation (DSA) technique using a line-shape analysis. The differential decay-curve method (DDCM) was applied for the lifetime determination. The B(E2) values in the yrast band indicate that the first band-crossing is with a proton S-band. The configuration πh_11/2d_5/2 of the negative-parity semi-decoupled bands is confirmed by the measured B(E2, I → I − 2) and B(M1, I → I − 1) transition strengths. The higher-lying “dipole” band in ¹²⁸Ba can be described as a high-K four-quasiparticle band built on the prolate configuration (πh_11/2d_5/2) (νh_11/2g_7/2).     

Ti/HfO2/Pt阻变存储单元中的氧空位聚簇分布

为了研究阻变存储器导电细丝的形成位置和分布规律, 使用X射线光电子能谱研究了Ti/HfO₂/Pt阻变存储器件单元中Hf 4f的空间分布, 得到了阻变层的微结构信息. 通过I-V测试, 得到该器件单元具有典型的阻变特性; 通过针对Hf 4f的不同深度测试, 发现处于低阻态时, 随着深度的增加, Hf⁴⁺化学组分单调地减小; 而处于高阻态和未施加电压前, 该组分呈现波动分布; 通过Hf⁴⁺在高阻态和低阻态下组分含量以及电子能损失谱分析, 得到高阻态下Hf⁴⁺组分的平均含量要高于低阻态; 另外, 高阻态和低阻态下的O 1s谱随深度的演变也验证了Hf⁴⁺的变化规律. 根据实验结果, 提出了局域分布的氧空位聚簇可能是造成这一现象的原因. 空位簇间的链接和断裂决定了导电细丝的形成和消失. 由于导电细丝容易在氧空位缺陷聚簇的地方首先形成, 这一研究为导电细丝的发生位置提供了参考.     

Low frequency impedance of a round superconducting wire

We calculated the electric field E on the surface of a straight superconducting wire with circular cross-section carrying AC transport current I=I_acosωt. Performing the Fourier analysis of E, we found that both components of the first harmonic have the same form: the critical current I_c in prefactor and the rest depending on the ratio F=I_a/I_c. The in-phase component leads to the classical result of loss calculation, while the out-of-phase component was derived for the first time. Thus the wire can be symbolized by a complex self-inductance L₁(I)=L₁′(I)−jL₁″(I) where L₁′ represents the reactive power while L₁″ the losses. When the lock-in amplifier, used to sort out the components of the first harmonic, is utilized in the wide-band mode, it allows one to determine the magnetic flux penetrated in the wire volume at two significant moments of the AC cycle: at zero current (remanent flux) and at the amplitude value of current.     

Multiple modes of perpendicular magnetization switching scheme in single spin—orbit torque device

Spin—orbit torque (SOT) has been considered as one of the promising technologies for the next-generation magnetic random access memory (MRAM). So far, SOT has been widely utilized for inducing various modes of magnetization switching. However, it is a challenge that so many multiple modes of magnetization switching are integrated together. Here we propose a method of implementing both unipolar switching and bipolar switching of the perpendicular magnetization within a single SOT device. The mode of switching can be easily changed by tuning the amplitude of the applied current. We show that the field-like torque plays an important role in switching process. The field-like torque induces the precession of the magnetization in the case of unipolar switching, however, the field-like torque helps to generate an effective z-component torque in the case of bipolar switching. In addition, the influence of key parameters on the mode of switching is discussed, including the field-like torque strength, the bias field, and the current density. Our proposal can be used to design novel reconfigurable logic circuits in the near future.     

不同堆砌层数煤系石墨的拉曼光谱表征及其表面石墨化均匀程度

采用多激发波长(325, 405, 514, 633和785 nm)以及显微拉曼面扫描技术对不同芳香层片平均堆砌层数的煤系石墨及其表面石墨化均匀程度进行表征。结果表明：对无序石墨,石墨微晶的尺寸较小并任意取向,随着平均堆砌度及堆砌层数增加,石墨微晶边缘的拉曼光谱特征显现。在无序结构向有序转化的同时,石墨微晶缺陷逐渐消亡,拉曼光谱一级模中D3、 D4峰逐渐不显著或消失,但是其倍频峰均微弱出现,尤其2D1峰强度逐渐增大。将I_D1/I_D2参数的含义进一步引申为缺陷类型及平均定向性,且无烟煤的I_D1/I_D2极大,随着石墨微晶尺寸增大(d₀₀₂<0.344 0 nm),至三维有序结构的石墨时I_D1/I_D2最小。在不同激发波长下G峰半高宽总是随着无序度的减小而减小,D1峰和2D1峰等均显示较强的色散效应,各峰强度随激发光能量的增大而增大,在紫外激发下,D1和G峰峰位差显著小于可见光激发。随激发波长的增加,D1峰向着低波数方向移动,2D1峰色...     

The electrical characterization of Zn(Phen)q/p-type Si/Al diode with interfacial layer by current–voltage characteristics

The current–voltage characteristics of Zinc (II) [(8-hydroxyquinoline)(1,10-phenanthroline)] complex (Zn(phen)q)/p-type Si/Al diode with interfacial layer have been investigated. The barrier height and ideality factor of the diode were found to be 0.71 eV and 2.05. Zn(phen)q/p-type Si/Al diode shows a metal–insulator–semiconductor structure resulted from presence of series resistance and an interfacial layer. The n and φ_B values obtained the presence of interfacial layer are 1.02 and 0.70 eV, respectively. The effect of series resistance was evaluated using a method developed by Cheung. The R_s and n values were determined from the d ln(I)/dV plot and were found to be 30.43 kΩ and 2.16, respectively. The barrier height and R_s values were calculated from the H(I)–I plot and were found to be 0.70 eV and 30.99 kΩ. The density of the interface states of the Zn(phen)q/p-type Si/Al diode was calculated and was found to be an order of 10¹³ eV⁻¹ cm⁻².     

A broadband self-powered UV photodetector of aβ-Ga2O3/γ-CuI p–n junction

The symmetric Ti/Au bi-layer point electrodes have been successfully patterned on theβ-Ga;O;films which are prepared by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition(MOCVD)and theγ-Cu I films which are prepared by spin-coating.The fabricated heterojunction has a large open circuit voltage(Voc)of 0.69 V,desired for achieving self-powered operation of a photodetector.Irradiated by 254-nm ultraviolet(UV)light,when the bias voltage is-5 V,the dark current(Idark)of the device is 0.47 p A,the photocurrent(Iphoto)is-50.93 n A,and the photo-to-dark current ratio(Iphoto/Idark)reaches about 1.08×10;.The device has a stable and fast response speed in different wavelengths,the rise time(τr)and decay time(τd)are 0.762 s and 1.741 s under 254-nm UV light illumination,respectively.While theτr andτd are 10.709 s and7.241 s under 365-nm UV light illumination,respectively.The time-dependent(I–t)response(photocurrent in the order of10-10 A)can be clearly distinguished at a small light intensity of 1μW·cm;.The internal physical mechanism affecting the device performances is discussed by the band diagram and charge carrier transfer theory.