Atomic-and Device-Scale Physics of Ion-Transport Memristors

Abstract

We report on our key advances in understanding the physics of chalcogenide- and silicon dioxide-based conductive bridge random-access memory (CBRAM) devices. Specifically, we report on Ag and Sn in Ge2Se3 and in GeSe2, and Ag and Cu in SiO2. We report that Ag and Sn autoionize in Ge2Se3, but not in SiO2. This crucial difference is reflected in the growth of dendrites in both materials. We also found that in Ge2Se3, Ag will readily displace Ge, forming a Ge-Ag dimer. Furthermore, two Ag atoms can form Ag dimers, displacing a pair of Ge atoms, and that this is an exothermic reaction. We have also studied the interaction of oxygen with pure Ge2Se3, and with Ag in the same material. Oxygen molecules will readily dissociate and form a variety of stable and metastable defects. The lowest energy defect is a Ge-O-Ge bridge, thus eliminating Ge-Ge dimers. We also found that oxygen did not readily attack Ge-Ag dimers.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 13, 2019
Accession Number
AD1087672

Entities

People

  • Arthur H. Edwards

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Amorphous Materials
  • Band Gaps
  • Chemistry
  • Computational Chemistry Methods
  • Conduction Bands
  • Density Functional Theory
  • Electrons
  • Energy Bands
  • Energy Gaps
  • Exothermic Reactions
  • Materials
  • Molecular Dynamics
  • Spacecraft
  • Two Dimensional
  • Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics
  • Organic Chemistry