Statistical Fluctuations in HfO x Resistive-Switching Memory: Part I - Set/Reset Variability

Resistive switching memory (RRAM) relies on the voltage-driven formation/disruption of a conductive filament (CF) across a thin insulating layer. Due to the 1-D structure of the CF and discrete nature of defects, the set and reset states of the memory device generally display statistical variability from cycle to cycle. For projecting cell downscaling and designing improved programming operations, the variability as a function of the operation parameters, such as the maximum current in the set process and maximum voltage in the reset process, need to be evaluated and understood. This paper addresses set/reset variability, presenting statistical data for HfOx-based RRAM and introducing a physics-based Monte Carlo model for switching statistics. The model can predict the distribution of the set state as a function of the compliance (maximum) current during set and distribution of the reset state as a function of the stop (maximum) voltage during reset. Numerical modeling results are finally presented to provide additional insight into discrete fluctuation events.