Complementary resistive switching in core–shell nanowires

Abstract

Highly dense, energy-efficient, and fast neuromorphic architectures emulating the computational abilities of the brain use memristors to emulate synapses in the analog or digital systems. Core–shell nanowires provide us with new opportunities for neuromorphic hardware integration. In this work, we have fabricated core–shell nanowires using a combination of bottom-up and top-down techniques. Additionally, we have demonstrated eightwise and counter-eightwise bipolar resistive switching (BRS). Remarkably, for the first time along with BRS, we have also demonstrated complementary resistive switching (CRS) in core–shell nanowires. Here, Pt was used as the conductive core and HfO2 as the memristive shell with Ti as the top electrode. The resistive switching properties were characterized by I–V curves and pulse operation modes. The cycling endurance in the BRS mode was 1000 cycles with an off–on ratio of ∼13 and resistance was retained for 104 s. Additionally, the compliance current used to form the nanowire in the BRS mode influenced the CRS operation by lowering the peak operating current. Additionally, current density–electric field analysis performed to determine charge conduction mechanisms revealed that the wires exhibit a thermionic emission mechanism in the high resistance state and Ohmic conduction mechanism in the low resistance state during the BRS mode of operation and hopping conduction mechanism in state 0 and space-charge-limited conduction mechanism in state 1 during the CRS mode of operation. This observed versatility in the mode of operation makes core–shell nanowires of significant interest for use as synaptic elements in neuromorphic network architectures.