AFM-utilizing approach to search for new oxide materials for perspective applications in memristive devices

Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia

^a e-mail: batkova@saske.sk

Received: 16 March 2012
Accepted: 12 April 2012
Published online: 25 May 2012

Abstract

Test structures of memristive devices were prepared by tip-induced oxidation of thin titanium films using atomic force microscope. Electrical measurements of such Ti/TiO_x/Ti devices confirmed their memristive behavior and inferred presence of diffusion processes in the TiO_x barrier. Consequent Kelvin probe force microscopy studies provided evidence for the diffusion processes as well as for expected electricfield-induced ionic/charge redistribution in the oxide barrier. Time evolution of the surface potential due to the diffusion processes in the TiO_x barrier revealed minute-scale (at least) retention times of the devices. The work presents a widely utilizable approach to search for novel oxide materials for perspective memristive applications as well as alternative technology for fabrication of memristive nanodevices in geometry favoring advantageous scanning probe microscopy studies of their in-barrier processes.