Surface Mapping of Resistive Switching CrOx Thin Films

In this work, we investigated resistive switching behavior of CrOx thin films grown by using sputtering technique. Conventional I-V measurements obtained from Ag/CrOx/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 CrOx surface films.