DC Conduction and Switching Mechanisms in Electroformed AlZnTe : VCu Devices at Atmospheric Pressure

Abstract EN

Vanadium-doped zinc telluride (ZnTe:V) thin film sandwiched by two different metal electrodes, that is, Al/ZnTe:V/Cu structure, was deposited onto the glass substrate by e-beam deposition technique in vacuum at a pressure of ~8 × 10−4 Pa.

The deposition rate of the film was maintained at 2.052 nms−1.

Circulation current was measured through this device as a function of potential difference applied across the structure.

The Al/ZnTe:V/Cu structures exhibit memory switching characteristics at atmospheric pressure in room temperature.

Switching characteristics of deposited Al/ZnTe:V/Cu structure as a memory device have been investigated in detail for various vanadium compositions, thicknesses of ZnTe:V films as well as various film temperatures, respectively.

In all cases, it is seen that the metal/insulator/metal (Al/ZnTe:V/Cu) structures based on ZnTe:V can undergo an electroforming process and exhibit voltage-controlled negative resistance (VCNR) or a new switching process.

It is also observed that the electric field, temperature, thickness, and dopant composition have important role in the switching characteristics.

Switching characteristics have been interpreted by using a filamentary model.

The switching effects of Al/ZnTe:V/Cu device may have important applications in the energy-oriented devices.