Electric field induced manipulation of resistive and magnetization switching in Pt/NiFe1.95Cr0.05O4/Pt memory devices

Abstract

In this letter, both resistive and magnetization switching were realized in Pt/NiFe1.95Cr0.05O4 (Cr-NFO)/Pt devices by the manipulation applied electric field process, where a Cr-NFO switching layer was prepared by a facile chemical solution process method. The Cr-NFO based devices exhibited stable unipolar switching behavior, uniform operating voltages, good endurance (>103 cycles), large ON/OFF memory window (>102), and excellent retention characteristic time (>105 s at 25 °C). Meanwhile, the saturation magnetization of Cr-NFO based devices showed reversible switching in different resistance states. The significant change between the high magnetization state and the low magnetization state could reach as high as ∼50% during resistive switching operation. The ON-OFF switching can be achieved at room temperature in resistive and magnetization switching. The proposed physical mechanism of resistive and magnetized switching of Cr-NFO based devices was related to the formation and rupture of conduction filaments consisting of oxygen vacancies and cations, which was based on the conversion of Fe (Fe3+ → Fe2+) and Cr (Cr3+ → Cr4+) valence change, redox reaction, and Joule heating effects. The coexistence of resistive and magnetization switching in ferrite thin film based devices has potential application in nonvolatile memory and magneto-electric coupling devices.