Investigation of the Thermal Recovery From Reset Breakdown of a SiNx-Based RRAM

In this article, we report a method for recovering a resistive-switching random access memory (RRAM) from the reset breakdown and enhancing the endurance characteristics. A SiNx-based RRAM device has been fabricated and its switching characteristics are analyzed with a particular interest in reset breakdown. It has been found that the SiNx RRAM in permanent reset breakdown can be revived to high-resistance state (HRS) by thermal recovery, a low-temperature annealing method. The memory window could be widened even with enhanced reset stability and conductance distribution. Temperature-dependent conductance change has been measured in order to figure out the substantial component of conductive filament and the mechanism of thermal recovery. The experimental evidences show that the reset breakdown process is the result of unwanted Si dangling bond (Si-DB) formation. By thermal recovery, Ni filament could be ruptured without applying a high electric field which induces negative set.