Ionically Mediated Mechanical Deformation Associated with Memristive Switching

Ionically mediated phenomena underpin the functioning of various devices, including batteries, solid oxide fuel cells, memristors, and neuromorphic devices. The ionic behavior corresponding to ionically mediated phenomena causes not only variations in the electrical properties but also mechanical deformation, which is crucial for device reliability. However, the interrelation between ionically mediated electrical properties and mechanical deformation has not been elucidated yet. This study investigates ionically mediated mechanical deformation accompanied by memristive switching in a TiO2 single crystal through simultaneous conductive atomic force microscopy and electrochemical strain microscopy. A comprehensive analysis indicates the existence of a relationship between mechanical deformation and memristive switching based on the ionic behavior. Furthermore, an ionic state variable is used to simplify the interrelation between the electrochemical strain hysteresis and memristive switching associated with applied voltage. This study provides insights on the ionic behavior and can be extended to other systems for the general analysis of the relationship between mechanical deformation and electrical properties. An investigation is conducted on ionically mediated mechanical deformation accompanied by memristive switching through simultaneous conductive atomic force microscopy and electrochemical strain microscopy. The correlation between the electrochemical strain and memristive switching associated with applied voltage is presented. This approach provides insight into the ionic behavior that can be extended to other ionic active systems.