High-Performance Programmable Metallization Cell Memory With the Pyramid-Structured Electrode

The pyramid structure fabricated with the potassium hydroxide (KOH) anisotropically etched (100) silicon substrate has been deposited with a copper film as the bottom electrode of the programmable metallization cell (PMC) memory to significantly improve the resistive switching characteristic. As compared with the conventional flat copper electrode, this pyramid-structured electrode exhibited the set/reset voltage as low as 1/0.6 V and superior endurance of 2400 cycles at the set/reset voltages of -5/+3 V for the voltages pulsewidth of 1 μs. The high performance of this PMC could be attributed to high local electrical fields at the tips of the pyramid structure, resulting in the formation of the narrower conductive filaments that facilitate the lower operation voltage and better endurance.