Radiation testing of tantalum oxide-based resistive memory

Abstract

Resistive memory (RRAM) is an emerging memory technology, expected to have inherent resistance to radiation damage. We present an initial study characterizing the effects of several types of radiation on a set of tantalum oxide-based RRAM devices. Gamma radiation (64.7 Mrad(Si)) was found to have no significant impact on switching properties. Likewise, ionic radiation (H, N, Ar+) up to 1015 ions/cm2 did not have any significant effect. This resistance to radiation, combined with high endurance and data retention, make RRAM an excellent candidate for use in harsh environments.