Author(s)

Kim Ngoc Pham^1*, Kieu Hanh Thi Ta¹, Lien Thuong Thi Nguyen², Vinh Cao Tran³, Bach Thang Phan^1,3

¹Faculty of Materials Science, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
²Faculty of Resources and Environment, Thu Dau Mot University, Binh Duong City, Vietnam.
³Laboratory of Advanced Materials, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

In this work, we investigated resistive switching behavior of CrO_x thin films grown by using sputtering technique. Conventional I-V measurements obtained from Ag/CrO_x/Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si structures depict the bipolar switching behavior, which is controlled by formation/dissolution processes of Ag conducting filaments through electrochemical redox reaction under external electric field driven. Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) technique provides the valuable mapping images of existing Ag filaments at low resistance state as well as the characteristics of filament distributions and diameters. This study also reveals that where the higher amplitude of topography is, the easier possibility of forming conducting filament paths is on CrO_x surface films.

Resistive Switching, Chromium Oxide, C-AFM, Surface Mapping, Metal Filament

Pham, K. , Ta, K. , Nguyen, L. , Tran, V. and Phan, B. (2016) Surface Mapping of Resistive Switching CrO_x Thin Films. Advances in Materials Physics and Chemistry, 6, 21-27. doi: 10.4236/ampc.2016.63003.