Resistive switching acceleration induced by thermal confinement

Enhancing the switching speed of oxide-based memristive devices at a low voltage level is crucial for their use as non-volatile memory and their integration into emerging computing paradigms such as neuromorphic computing. Efforts to accelerate the switching speed often result in an energy tradeoff, leading to an increase of the minimum working voltage. In our study, we present an innovative solution: the introduction of a low thermal conductivity layer placed within the active electrode, which impedes the dissipation of heat generated during the switching process. The result is a notable acceleration in the switching speed of the memristive model system SrTiO₃ by a remarkable factor of 10^3, while preserving the integrity of the switching layer and the interfaces with the electrodes, rendering it adaptable to various filamentary memristive systems. The incorporation of HfO₂ or TaOₗ as heat-blocking layers not only streamlines the fabrication process, but also ensures compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology.