A model for the off-on transition in thin ZnTe films

Thin ZnTe films show memory switching characteristics. The transition between the high-resistive off-state and the low-resistive on-state is explained here as a thermal instability. To describe this, an electro-thermal model differing from the existing ones is worked out for the specific case of a ZnTe-on glass structure. The numerically obtained results agree well with the measured off-on transition parameters.