Reversing a decades-long scaling law of dielectric breakdown for ReRAM forming voltage reduction - Modeling competition among defect generation and annihilation processes (invited)

It is well known that the inverse area-scaling law of dielectric breakdown (BD) has posed scaling limits for a forming-voltage reduction in resistive random-access-memory (ReRAM) devices as well as for BD reliability of modern technology nodes. In this work, we present and review our recent development of a physics-based statistical model which captures the experimental findings of the reverse BD area scaling [1]. This remarkable reverse area scaling effect is accomplished by introducing an innovative fabrication process with a hydrogen-doped layer in a bilayer HfO <inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> structure. Our work demonstrates there is no fundamental reason preventing the old scaling law from being reversed or altered, thus providing a scaling solution for ReRAM technology and fabrication innovation in electronic and/or bioinspired nanomaterials; moreover, our findings can stimulate much research in physics, statistics, and reliability.