Recovery of failed resistive switching random access memory devices by a low-temperature supercritical treatment

Abstract

The successful recovery of resistive switching random access memory (RRAM) devices that have undergone switching failure is achieved by introducing a low-temperature supercritical-fluid process that passivates the switching layer. These failed RRAM devices, which are incapable of switching between high- and low-resistance states, were treated with supercritical carbon dioxide with pure water at 120 °C for 1 h. After the treatment, the devices became operational again and showed excellent current–voltage (I–V) characteristics and reliability as before. On the basis of the current conduction mechanism fitting results, we propose a model to explain the phenomenon.