Collaborative Research: ECCS-EPSRC: Development of uniform, low power, high density resistive memory by vertical interface and defect design

合作研究：ECCS-EPSRC：通过垂直接口和缺陷设计开发均匀、低功耗、高密度电阻式存储器

• 批准号: 1902644
• 负责人: Haiyan Wang
• 金额: $ 25万
• 依托单位: Purdue University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-07-01 至 2023-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1902644&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; ECCS; EPSRC; Development

Non-volatile memory is critical for all aspects of modern computing, as well as for next generation of digital technologies like the Internet of Things and neuromorphic computing. Among non-volatile memory technologies, resistive random access memory based on metal oxide films as resistive switching layers has the potential for high-speed, low operation voltage, low power consumption, and good endurance properties that enable the highest performance at the lowest cost. However, metal oxide resistive random access memory also faces some critical challenges such as the unpredictable forming process. Another challenge is the variable resistive states from one film to another and from one point to another across each film. The collaborative project between the US team (Univ. at Buffalo and Purdue) and the UK team (Univ. of Cambridge) will develop a highly innovative, scalable, and advanced materials technology to overcome the current technical limitations of emerging resistive memory. The materials platform is HfO2, a widely used material in the semiconductor industry. Unlike previous work on this material, the current project will precisely engineer HfO2 microstructures in new ways to create highly controlled switching properties. The broader technological impacts are built on established industry collaborations. The research program is well integrated with education and outreach programs at all three campuses, including: 1) training young researchers with multidisciplinary research skills in an international research environment; 2) implementing resistive memory concepts in materials science and engineering curricula through teaching; 3) disseminating research findings to broader audiences through outreach programs.While commonly-used metal/metal oxide/metal structures for resistive random access memory have conduction filaments that are nucleated randomly, the design in this project incorporates engineered vertical interfaces in either vertically aligned nanocomposite or fine-grained columnar structures to guide the conduction channels. These pre-defined interfaces enable the formation of precise and non-random vertical conducting paths with high densities for high performance resistive random access memory, without the need for a high voltage forming process. This project advances knowledge by combining well-integrated capabilities to synthesize, characterize, design, and fabricate resistive random access memory devices with targeted properties and performance. Specifically, it will translate the ideal engineered materials systems which has been already demonstrated by this team in epitaxial nanocomposites to simple binary oxides such as HfO2 on Si. These films will be initially grown by pulsed laser deposition. The knowledge learned from the films grown by pulsed laser deposition will be then implemented to industrial tools of sputtering and atomic layer deposition to achieve nanoengineered HfO2-based films with ~few nm sized columnar-grains. Finally, individual memristors and crossbar array structures will be fabricated, and the key parameters of the devices characterized. Furthermore, a set of unique characterization tools will be used to reveal the interplay between the device performance and the materials properties. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a forming-free, highly uniform, high density, low power, high on/off ratio, superior endurance resistive memory through the formation of controlled oxygen vacancy concentration and perfect conducting channels in resistive switching metal oxide layers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

非易失性存储器对于现代计算的各个方面，以及物联网和神经形态计算等下一代数字技术都至关重要。在非易失性存储技术中，基于金属氧化物薄膜作为电阻开关层的电阻性随机存取存储器具有高速、低工作电压、低功耗和良好耐用性的潜力，能够以最低的成本实现最高的性能。然而，金属氧化物电阻随机存取存储器也面临着一些关键的挑战，如不可预测的成形过程。另一个挑战是可变的电阻状态从一个膜到另一个，从一个点到另一个横跨每个膜。美国团队（布法罗大学和普渡大学）和英国团队（剑桥大学）之间的合作项目将开发一种高度创新、可扩展和先进的材料技术，以克服当前新兴电阻性存储器的技术限制。材料平台是HfO2，这是一种在半导体工业中广泛使用的材料。与之前对这种材料的研究不同，目前的项目将以新的方式精确地设计HfO2微结构，以创造高度可控的开关特性。更广泛的技术影响建立在既定的行业合作基础上。该研究项目与所有三个校区的教育和推广项目很好地结合在一起，包括：1)在国际研究环境中培养具有多学科研究技能的年轻研究人员；2)在材料科学与工程课程中通过教学实施电阻性记忆概念；3)通过外展项目向更广泛的受众传播研究成果。通常用于电阻随机存取存储器的金属/金属氧化物/金属结构具有随机成核的导电丝，而本项目的设计在垂直排列的纳米复合材料或细粒度柱状结构中结合了工程垂直界面来引导导电通道。这些预先定义的接口能够形成精确的、非随机的、高密度的垂直导电路径，用于高性能电阻随机存取存储器，而不需要高压形成过程。该项目通过结合良好集成的能力来合成、表征、设计和制造具有目标特性和性能的电阻随机存取存储器器件，从而提高了知识水平。具体来说，它将把这个团队已经在外延纳米复合材料中证明的理想工程材料系统转化为简单的二元氧化物，如硅上的HfO2。这些薄膜最初将通过脉冲激光沉积生长。从脉冲激光沉积中获得的知识将应用于溅射和原子层沉积的工业工具，以获得具有~几纳米尺寸柱状晶粒的纳米工程hfo2基薄膜。最后，将制作单个忆阻器和交叉栅阵列结构，并对器件的关键参数进行表征。此外，将使用一套独特的表征工具来揭示器件性能与材料特性之间的相互作用。该项目的最终目标是通过在阻性开关金属氧化物层中形成可控的氧空位浓度和完善的导电通道，开发出一种无形成、高度均匀、高密度、低功耗、高开/关比、超长耐用的电阻存储器。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Metallic interface induced by electronic reconstruction in crystalline-amorphous bilayer oxide films

晶体-非晶双层氧化物薄膜中电子重构诱导的金属界面

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2019.08.026
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: Science Bulletin
• 影响因子: 18.9
• 作者: Lü, Xujie;Chen, Aiping;Dai, Yaomin;Wei, Bin;Xu, Hongwu;Wen, Jianguo;Li, Nan;Luo, Yongkang;Gao, Xiang;Enriquez, Erik
• 通讯作者: Enriquez, Erik

Real-time in situ optical tracking of oxygen vacancy migration in memristors

• DOI: 10.1038/s41928-020-00478-5
• 发表时间: 2020-10-05
• 期刊: NATURE ELECTRONICS
• 影响因子: 34.3
• 作者: Di Martino, Giuliana;Demetriadou, Angela;Baumberg, Jeremy J.
• 通讯作者: Baumberg, Jeremy J.

Manipulating the metal-to-insulator transition and magnetic properties in manganite thin films via epitaxial strain

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.105.165426
• 发表时间: 2022-04-22
• 期刊: PHYSICAL REVIEW B
• 影响因子: 3.7
• 作者: Li, Dong;Zhu, Bonan;Li, Weiwei
• 通讯作者: Li, Weiwei

Role of Defects and Power Dissipation on Ferroelectric Memristive Switching

• DOI: 10.1002/aelm.202101392
• 发表时间: 2022-03
• 期刊: Advanced Electronic Materials
• 影响因子: 6.2
• 作者: P. Roy;S. Kunwar;Di Zhang;Di Chen;Zachary J Corey;Bethany X. Rutherford;Haiyan Wang;J. MacManus‐Drisco

Reducing leakage current and enhancing polarization in multiferroic 3D super-nanocomposites by microstructure engineering

通过微结构工程减少多铁性 3D 超纳米复合材料中的漏电流并增强极化

• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac5f98
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Nanotechnology
• 影响因子: 3.5
• 作者: Enriquez, Erik;Lu, Ping;Li, Leigang;Zhang, Bruce;Wang, Haiyan;Jia, Quanxi;Chen, Aiping
• 通讯作者: Chen, Aiping