Structural and chemical nanoanalysis on memristive devices

纳米分析是了解忆阻器件基本功能和知识驱动改进的关键之一。因此，子项目B2侧重于纳米级结构的化学和结构研究，这本质上决定了器件的功能以及忆阻开关机制和疲劳。与研究单位相关的记忆器件的不同设计要求应用精心选择和互补的透射电子显微镜技术，包括高分辨率成像，电子衍射，x射线和电子能谱。作为一个先决条件，样品提取和稀释必须发展到每个特定设计的无人工制备。因此，建立了与器件制造（A1, A2）的协同联系，并且可以提供原子结构和电性能的相关性，并通过附带的器件模拟（B1）进一步验证。分析涵盖了广泛的长度尺度，结构尺寸从几埃（例如带电缺陷）到纳米（例如屏障层）和微米（例如穿过整个设备和金属氧化物网络的切割）。除了专门的非原位分析外，还计划在水平装置上进行原位观察，以便实时记录记忆开关时的结构变化。

Nanoscopic analysis is one key towards fundamental understanding of function and knowledge-driven improvement of memristive devices. Consequently, subproject B2 focuses on chemical and structural investigations of the nanoscale structures, which are intrinsically determining device function as well as memristive switching mechanisms and fatigue. The diverse designs of memristive devices being relevant for the research unit call for the application of well selected and complementary techniques of transmission electron microscopy including high resolution imaging, electron diffraction, X-ray- and electron spectroscopy. As a precondition, sample extraction and thinning must be developed towards artefact-free preparation for each of the specific designs. As a result, a synergistic link to device fabrication (A1, A2) is established and the correlation of atomic structure and electrical properties can be provided as further verified by accompanied device simulation (B1). The analyses cover a broad range of length scales with structure sizes ranging from a few angstroms (e.g. electrically charged defects) to nanometers (e.g. barrier layers) and micrometers (e.g. cuts through entire devices and metal oxide networks). Besides dedicated ex situ analyses, in situ observation on horizontal devices are planned which may enable recording the structural changes upon memristive switching live and in real time.