Perovskite oxides as resistive switching memories: A review

Numerous metal-insulator-metal systems demonstrate electrically induced resistive switching effects and have therefore been proposed as the basis for future nonvolatile memories. They combine the advantages of flash memories and dynamic random access memories while avoiding their drawbacks, such as operation speed, power consumption and device integration and scalable issues. The RRAM devices primarily operate at different resistance values to store the digital data and can keep the resistance state without any power supply. Recent advances in the understanding of the resistive switching mechanism are explained by a thermal or electrochemical redox reaction near the interface between the oxide and the top active metal electrode. Here we review the ongoing research and development activities on the perovskite based resistive switching memory devices. The possible switching mechanisms for the resistive switching are described. The effects of crystal structure, dopants, doping concentrations, annealing temperature, device structures and thickness of the active oxide layer on the resistive switching characteristics and consequently the memory performances are also discussed. From this insight, we take a brief look into different effect on the switching of the perovskite material systems.