First evidence of resistive switching in polycrystalline GaV(4)S(8) thin layers

Recently a new type of reversible and non-volatile resistive switching was discovered in single crystals of Mott insulators AM4X8 (A = Ga, Ge; M = V, Nb, Ta; X = S, Se). Here we report on the first synthesis of thin layers (thicknesses in the 100 to 1000 nm range) of GaV4S8 by RF magnetron sputtering process. Energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and TEM analyses attest the high quality of polycrystalline GaV4S8 thin layers. Electrical measurements demonstrate that deposited GaV4S8 thin films exhibit a non-volatile reversible resistive switching at room temperature with writing/erasing times of ~10 μs and a memory window (Rhigh - Rlow)/ Rlow > 33%.