Inserted Effects of MXene on Switching Mechanisms and Characteristics of SiO2-Based Memristor: Experimental and First-Principles Investigations

Structural, electrical, and optical properties of MXene (Ti
₃
C
₂
), a rapid-growth two-dimensional (2-D) transition metal carbide, have drawn considerable attention due to its high conductivity, hydrophilic surface, strong electron-withdrawing ability, and large surface-area-to-volume ratio. Recently, 2-D MXene has been implemented in memristors with simple sandwiched structure to develop high-performance devices. However, the behind physical effects of MXene on memristors, especially the conduction mechanism, remain an unclear domain. Herein, MXene has been inserted into memristor with stereotype structure of TiN/Cu/MXene/SiO
₂
/TiN. Additionally, the corresponding electrical characteristics under five different compliance currents have been compared between the studied devices with and without MXene. Moreover, in terms of the electrical conduction behavior, the formation energy calculations and the differential charge density analyses have been performed using a newly constructed simulation model based on density functional theory (DFT), disclosing that the insertion of MXene plays an effective role in forming conduction path. The combinatorial experimental and theoretical investigations on the inserted effect of Ti
₃
C
₂
on memristor not only reveal that the MXene-based device is thus capable of offering better stability and lower switching voltages but also provide a useful methodology for deeply exploring the switching mechanism of MXene-based device.