Microscopic Modeling of HfOx RRAM Operations: From Forming to Switching

We propose a model describing the operations of hafnium oxide-based resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices at the microscopic level. Charge carrier and ion transport are self-consistently described starting from the leakage current in pristine HfO2. Material structural modifications occurring during the RRAM operations, such as conductive filament (CF) creation and disruption, are accounted for. The model describes the complex processes leading to a formation of the CF and its dependence on both electrical conditions (e.g., current compliance, voltage stress, and temperature) and device characteristics (e.g., electrodes material and dielectric thickness).