Ultrafast resistive-switching phenomena observed in NiN-based ReRAM cells

In this paper, for the first time, we report the fabrication of a resistive random access memory (ReRAM) device using Ti/NiN/Pt structure cells and its observed bipolar resistive-switching characteristics in the pulsed mode. In these experiments, NiN-based ReRAM showed excellent switching behavior under +2.4 V/3.3 ns and -2 V/3.3 ns with a high-to-low resistance ratio > 10 ². The conduction mechanisms at low and high resistance states were verified by ohmic behavior (or conducting filament) and modified space charge-limited conduction from the Mott (metal-insulator) transition, respectively. The resistive-switching process is explained by the model concerning redox reaction mediated formation and rupture of the conducting filament in NiN films. In the reliability test, the device showed an endurance of > 10 ⁷ cycles and a retention time of > 10 ⁵ s at 85 °C. These results show that NiN-based ReRAM can be used as a promising high-speed memory device.