Probing Self-Heating in RRAM Devices by Sub-100 nm Spatially Resolved Thermometry

Abstract

Resistive memory (RRAM) is a promising technology for high density, non-volatile data storage. Metal-oxide RRAM involves forming and breaking conductive filaments (CF) in an oxide like Hf02 as the mechanism of data storage. CFs are sub-50 nm in diameter [1], causing sharp temperature gradients within the RRAM oxide. However, imaging individual CFs in RRAM devices is challenging due to their nanoscale size and the presence of the top electrode (TE). While previous works have performed electrical [2] or optical averaging [3] of CF temperature, evaluating the heating of a single CF within RRAM has remained an open problem.