Electric field induced charge migration and formation of conducting filament during resistive switching in electrochemical metallization (ECM) memory cells

Although it has been commonly accepted that resistive random access memories (ReRAMs) operate by exploiting the electric field to form or break the conducting filaments (CFs), the formation of CF still remains elusive and so is the correlation of physiochemical properties with electrical responses. Using the phase field model, we show the complete correlation between the physiochemical process driven CF formation and the electrical responses in ReRAM systems, specifically in the electrochemical metallization (ECM) memory cells. We could qualitatively validate all the unique I–V characteristics (associated with CF formation) available in the experimental literature for inorganic as well as hybrid organic–inorganic ReRAM systems. We believe that the universal description and the obtained qualitative validation of the model could shape the future ReRAM research where the formation of CF plays the dominant role.