Au nanoparticles introduced to spinel Co3O4 thin films: Switching enhancement and magnetization modulation

•Solution-processed Au-Co3O4 nanocomposite thin films were prepared.•Oxygen vacancies derived resistive and magnetic switching properties were studied.•Au-Co3O4 based device illustrates improvement in resistive switching parameters.•Switching model can be attributed to formation/rupture of oxygen vacancy filaments. Oxygen vacancies derived resistive and magnetic switching, was demonstrated in facile solution-processed Au-Co3O4 nanocomposite thin films, in terms of optimum Au content. The metal element introduced is a unique way to create the optimum amount of oxygen vacancies in the dielectric films even in the absence of electrochemically active electrodes. Compared with pure Co3O4 based device, the RRAM device with Au additives showed bipolar switching behavior with uniform Set/Reset voltages, enhanced endurance of >103 cycles, and stable time-dependent resistances up to 104 s. The introduction of Au nanoparticles caused the oxygen vacancies based confined filament growth for optimum switching uniformity and stability. Results showed that Ohmic conduction was dominant at LRS and Schottky emission was dominated at HRS of the devices. Temperature dependence and magnetization change of various resistance states revealed that resistive and magnetic switching was due to the formation and rupture of conductive filaments of Au atoms confined oxygen vacancies with the conversion of cation valence states (Co2+ and Co3+). The present study suggests that Au-Co3O4 nanocomposite thin films have a potential for future multifunctional electromagnetic integrated device applications.