Radiation Response of HfO_x-Based Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) Devices

A report on the fabrication and radiation response of HfOx thin film-based resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices is presented in this study. Au/HfOx/Au cross-bar (10 μm × 10 μm) structures were used to study the effects of ion irradiation on their switching properties. One hundred twenty megaelectron volt (120 MeV) Ag7+ ions with fluence values ranging from 5E10 to 5E12 ions/cm2 were employed in this work. The resistance (high to low) ratio was found to increase until a critical fluence of 5E11 ions/cm2 was reached, and it decreased beyond this fluence. Furthermore, it is observed that the singly charged positive oxygen-vacancy defects (VO+) are more dominant and have a major contribution in the switching cycles for these RRAM devices. The observed trends in the electrical properties of these devices are correlated with the changes in the densities of charged defects relative to neutral defects in the switching medium. Possibilities of employing these RRAM devices as radiation detectors are also discussed.