Dominant Failure Mechanism in Data Retention Characteristics of Resistance Change Memory Consisting of NiO at High Temperature

We investigated the dependence of data retention characteristics of a resistance change memory (RCM) consisting of NiO on bottom electrode material, Pt/Ti and Pt/TiO 2 . Data retention time was longer in Pt/NiO/Pt/Ti/SiO 2 structures compared with that in Pt/NiO/Pt/TiO 2 /SiO 2 structures. A secondary ion mass spectrometry profile suggested that this improvement in data retention time was a result of the thin TiO 2 layer formed by Ti atoms diffusing to the boundary between the NiO layer and the Pt bottom electrode. In addition, the formation of a leakage path outside the filament, in which the resistance switching and memory effect occur, is suggested to be a predominant failure mechanism in data retention characteristics of NiO-RCM against heat.