Evaluation of ultra-thin structures composed of graphene and high-k dielectrics for resistive switching memory applications

In this work, metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures with graphene as interfacial layer between the HfO2 dielectric and the top electrode are evaluated as resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices. The graphene acts as a barrier between the metal electrode and the HfO2 layer, hindering the diffusion of O atoms and protecting the structure from a destructive microstructural damage. The results show that when graphene is present, resistive switching (RS) can be measured probably owing to the controlled diffusion of the metal atoms from the electrode. We show also that the quality of graphene layer plays an important role on the behaviour of the described structures.