Toward ultimate nonvolatile resistive memories: The mechanism behind ovonic threshold switching revealed

• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay2830
• Publication Date: 2020-02-29T00:16:09Z
• Authors: Pierre Noé; Anthonin Verdy; Francesco d’Acapito; Jean-Baptiste Dory; Mathieu Bernard; Gabriele Navarro; Jean-Baptiste Jager; Jérôme Gaudin; Jean-Yves Raty
• Keywords: Neuromorphic engineering; Non-Volatile Memory; Metastability

Fifty years after its discovery, the ovonic threshold switching (OTS) phenomenon, a unique nonlinear conductivity behavior observed in some chalcogenide glasses, has been recently source of real technological breakthrough field data storage memories. This was achieved because successful 3D integration so-called OTS selector devices with innovative phase-change memories, both based on materials. paves way for class memories as well neuromorphic circuits. We elucidate mechanism behind by new state-of-the-art materials using electrical, optical, and x-ray absorption experiments, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The model explaining occurring amorphous under electric involves metastable formation newly introduced metavalent bonds. opens design improved future types applications such brain-inspired computing.