Origin of the SET Kinetics of the Resistive Switching in Tantalum Oxide Thin Films

In this letter, we discuss the kinetics of the resistive switch effect in tantalum oxide thin films. The time to switch from the high resistance state to the low resistance state (SET) was measured by using pulse measurement technique. It was found that the SET switching time has a clear relationship with the power of the leakage current flowing under the applied voltage before the SET. Although the dependence of the SET time on the applied voltage differ from cell to cell, this relationship is universal among the different cells. This implies that the Joule heating effect is the dominant driving factor of the SET, rather than the applied voltage. In addition, this relationship can account for the faster switching speed at an elevated temperature.