Dual oxygen reservoir model for nonpolar resistive switching in nickel tetradecavanadate based molecular switch

The data explosion and computing limitations of traditional computer systems have led researchers to find alternate data storage devices. Resistive random access memory devices have been accepted as a promising candidate to meet the growing demand for multi-bit memory storage and unconventional computing applications. In this report, we provide a comprehensive mechanistic insight into the multistate nonpolar resistive switching in nickel-embedded polyoxovanadate molecules, K₂H₅[NiV₁₄O₄₀] based memory device having the architecture Al/K₂H₅[NiV₁₄O₄₀]/ITO. Such molecular cluster belongs to a larger group of polyoxometalate family. The formation and rupture of multiple conductive filaments made up of oxygen vacancies and their lateral widening with different compliance currents allow the device to exhibit multiple resistance states. The resistance states are likely to be modulated by the multiple redox reactions of Ni and V centers of the active switching layer. The coexistence of two unipolar and two bipolar modes of resistive switching suggests that the device can be modeled as having a dual oxygen reservoir structure where both thermochemical and electrochemical mechanisms of filament theory for resistive switching coexist in the same memory cell. The observation of quantized steps in the conductance plot confirms the conductive filament based resistive switching. The enhancement and reduction in conductance with the increase in the number of pulses can mimic the potentiation and depression in biological synapses. This promises that the polyoxometalate based resistive switching devices can connect memory with neuromorphic applications.