The influence of interfacial barrier engineering on the resistance switching of In₂O₃:SnO₂/TiO₂/In₂O₃:SnO₂ device

The I-V characteristics of In₂O₃:SnO₂/TiO₂/In₂O₃:SnO₂ junctions with different interfacial barriers are investigated by comparing experiments. A two-step resistance switching process is found for samples with two interfacial barriers produced by specific thermal treatment on the interfaces. The nonsynchronous occurrence of conducting filament formation through the oxide bulk and the reduction in the interfacial barrier due to the migration of oxygen vacancies under the electric field is supposed to explain the two-step resistive switching process. The unique switching properties of the device, based on interfacial barrier engineering, could be exploited for novel applications in nonvolatile memory devices.