Fig. 8
From: Conductance Quantization in Resistive Random Access Memory
Typical conductance-voltage and current–voltage curves corresponding to RESET process of Pt/HfO2/Pt devices [70]. Black curves show the usually observed abrupt RESET switching. Green curves display several successive jumps and red curves show progressive RESET process. Insets A–D show the different stages of the CF during the RESET process. The quantized conductance states in the step-like or progressive RESET processes are the intermediate states between low and high resistance states. A CF with conductance of the order of G 0 = 2e 2/h is the natural boundary between the LRS and HRS states. The step-like or progressive RESET transition finalizes with an abrupt conductance drop of several orders of magnitude. This final drop corresponds to the opening of a spatial gap (potential barrier) in the CF. Discrete changes of conductance of the order of G 0 recorded during the step-like or progressive RESET transitions are interpreted as the signature of atomic-sized variations of the conducting filament (CF) nanostructure. Reproduced with permission