This paper reports the effects of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on resistive switching (RS) characteristics and mechanisms of SrZrO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> (SZO)-based memory devices. SZO thin films were deposited on LaNiO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> (LNO) (100)/Pt/Ti/SiO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> /Si using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and were followed by an RTA process in N <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> , Ar, and O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> ambients, respectively, at various temperatures for improving RS performance. Experimental results indicate that an SZO device annealed in O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> at 600°C (O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> -600) exhibits stable RS properties and has a high device yield ( 90%), a reliable retention characteristic (up to 1 × 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">6</sup> s at 100°C), and steady nondestructive readout properties (over 1.4 × 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">4</sup> s at 100°C). However, by increasing RTA temperature to more than 700°C, random formation of LNO (110) precipitates on the bottom surface of SZO grains might shorten the effective thickness of the SZO thin films. Furthermore, a strong electric field possibly occurs at the region between Al top electrodes and low-resistivity LNO precipitates. It is speculated that an RS phenomenon, which occurs within SZO grains instead of on grain boundaries, easily leads to RS failure, further resulting in severe degradation of device yield in the O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> -700 and O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> -800 devices. When compared with other devices, O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> -600 SZO memory devices exhibit highly reliable RS characteristics.
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