Bipolar switching characteristics of low-power Geo resistive memory

► We demonstrate GeO x RRAM with both cost-effective and ultra-low power. ► Hopping conduction mechanism effectively lowers switched currents. ► Self-compliance switched mode presents from penalties of excess forming current via filaments. ► Size-related switched power enables application of high-density memory. We reported an ultra low-power resistive random access memory (RRAM) combining a low-cost Ni electrode and covalent-bond GeO x dielectric. This cost-effective Ni/GeO x /TaN RRAM device has very small set power of 2 μW, ultra-low reset power of 130 pW, greater than 1 order of magnitude resistance window, and stable retention at 85 °C. The current flow at low-resistance state is governed by Poole–Frenkel conduction with electrons hopping via defect traps, which is quite different from the filament conduction in metal-oxide RRAM.