Huge hydrogen-induced resistive switching in percolating palladium thin films

Abstract

Hydrogen absorption in metals causes volume expansion, which increases abruptly with phase transformation. This effect can stimulate hydrogen-induced percolation of discontinuous palladium thin films, yielding a drop in the films’ electrical resistance. Long-term exposure to air and cyclic hydrogen loading of palladium films with optimized morphology (meander films of 15 nm thickness, islands gaps of about 14 nm) are shown to change the meander connectivity and, thereby, increase the films’ resistance switching to −5900% in a narrow pressure range.