Measurements for Resistive Switching Devices
Physical Measurement Laboratory, Nanoscale Device Characterization Division
NIST only participates in the February and August reviews.
Nanoscale resistive switches, with their simple two-terminal configuration and hysteretic behavior, present an exciting opportunity for developing new approaches to electronic circuitry, from non-volatile memory to synapse mimicking in neuromorphic systems. However, the mechanisms by which resistive switching occurs are poorly understood and vary greatly across the many systems known to exhibit this behavior. There is a critical need for new measurement techniques that can help elucidate how the devices transform from a conductive state to a resistive state and vice versa. We are conducting research on new approaches to measuring these devices as a collaborative, cross-disciplinary effort within the Nanoscale Device Characterization Division. Current efforts focus on imaging the switching process with a range of techniques including thermal atomic force microscopy, electron-beam induced current, cathodoluminescence, and specialized FIB instrumentation. A full complement of fabrication tools in the CNST Nanofab is also available for device fabrication.