Abstract
When a memory cell of a Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM) crossbar array is switched repeatedly, a considerable amount of Joule heat is dissipated in the cell, and the heat may spread to neighboring cells that share one of the electrode lines with the heat source device. The remote heating of a probed memory cell by another cell allows separating the influence of temperature effects from the impact of the electric field on the resistive switching kinetics. We find that the cell-to-cell heat transfer causes severe degradation of electrical performance of the unheated neighboring cells. A metric for the thermal degradation of the I–V characteristics is established by a specific conditioning of a so-called “marginal” device used as a temperature-sensitive probe of electrical performance degradation. We find that even neighboring cells with no common metal electrode lines with the heated cell suffer substantial electrical performance degradation provided that intermediate cells of the array are set into a conductive state establishing a continuous thermal path via nanofilaments between the heated and probed cells. The cell-to-cell thermal cross-talk poses a serious electro-thermal reliability problem for the operation of a memory crossbar array requiring modified write/erase algorithms to program the cells (a thermal sneak path effect). The thermal cross-talk appears to be more severe in nanometer-sized memory arrays even if operated with ultra-fast, nanosecond-wide voltage/current pulses.
Highlights
Traditional non-volatile memory based on a floating gate MOSFET transistor reached its scaling limits and, the development of alternative memory cells is imperative
Our results demonstrate that this Joule heat is transported preferentially along the electrode metal lines, affecting the neighboring cells disposed along the same electrode lines and causing the deterioration of their electrical properties
We found that the heat deposited in a cell stressed by frequent switching is transported to the neighboring cells, causing their serious degradation in terms of electrical performance
Summary
Traditional non-volatile memory based on a floating gate MOSFET transistor reached its scaling limits and, the development of alternative memory cells is imperative. Walczyk et al [13] found that the Roff /Ron ratio decreased from a value of 20 to approximately five over the temperature interval of 213–413 K Such changes in Ron and Roff of ReRAM cells cause significant degradation in the computational accuracy of ReRAM-based neuromorphic computing systems [5]. Our results demonstrate that this Joule heat is transported preferentially along the electrode metal lines, affecting the neighboring cells disposed along the same electrode lines and causing the deterioration of their electrical properties. Due to this non-local cell heating configuration, the influence of temperature by dint of remote Joule heating of a heated cell and of the electric field on the switching kinetics of its neighbor cell could be studied separately. A preliminary report of this work was submitted at the MRS Spring 2019 conference [15]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.