R&D: Nonvolatile Resistive Switching Memory Based on Monosaccharide Fructose Film

Applied Physics Letters has published an article written by Yuan Xing, Brandon Sueoka, School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington 98686, USA, Kuan Yew Cheong, School of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia, and Feng Zhao1, School of Engineering and Computer Science, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington 98686, USA.

Abstract: “In this paper, we report resistive random access memory (RRAM) based on a monosaccharide—fructose for nonvolatile memory in biocompatible and “green” electronics. Fructose thin film acts as the resistive switching layer with Al and Ag top electrodes for comparison. Both devices demonstrated highly reproducible nonvolatile bipolar resistive switching behaviors with a large on/off ratio of ∼10⁶ for the Al electrode and ∼10⁵ for the Ag electrode. The forming voltage, set voltage, and memory window are also larger for the Al electrode than the Ag electrode, but the reset voltages are comparable. Dominant conduction mechanisms of fructose films were proposed. At a high resistance state, both electrodes reveal space charge limited conduction, while at a low resistance state, the governing mechanism is Ohm’s law, and in addition, the Ag electrode also shows trap-fill limited conduction when approaching the reset voltage. This observation has yet to be reported in RRAM based on natural bio-organic materials.“

Feng Zhao acknowledges the support from National Science Foundation, United States (No. ECCS-2104976).