Understanding 2D material memristors by atomic resolution imaging

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Resistive memory (ReRAM, also known as memristors) are a memory where the on and off states correspond to different resistances toggled by an applied potential. They are an emerging device of interest in 'beyond Moore' electronics, with potential applications in high-speed memory and neuromorphic 'brain-like' computing. New 2D materials, like monolayer MoS2, can now be used to make these devices atomically thin. However, there remains significant ambiguity over the atomic mechanisms behind this resistive switching property. Understanding this process at the fundamental atomic level would allow us to engineer better devices. This PhD project will use the state-of-the-art atomic resolution imaging facilities available at Warwick University to diagnose these underpinning mechanisms and thus inform the design of next-generation electronic devices. The student will conduct transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging of 2D material ReRAM devices while they are being operated inside the microscope. These operando experiments will directly reveal the atomic mechanisms that occur inside an operational memristor. The student will benefit from training in 2D material preparation and handling, semiconductor device fabrication, and TEM imaging techniques, as well as international collaboration with partners in Korea.