Comprehensive modeling of electrochemical metallization memory cells

This paper reviews our previous theoretical studies on the simulation and modeling of resistively switching electrochemical metallization memory devices. The focus is on the current understanding of the dynamic behavior of this type of memory cells. A wide range of simulation scales is presented ranging from atomistic kinetic Monte Carlo models to 1D compact and analytical models. While these models show consistent results in the mean dynamic behavior, they address different aspects of the device behavior. With the compact and analytical models, the dynamic behavior on timescales ranging from nanoseconds to thousands of seconds can be investigated. The computationally more expensive multidimensional continuum models and kinetic Monte Carlo models, in contrast, give additional information on the detailed filamentary growth and dissolution mechanism, which is the origin of the resistance switching effect in electrochemical metallization memory cells. Using the different models, the different aspects of the resistance switching effect such as switching dynamics, multilevel programming, filament shape, polyfilamentary switching, variability, quantized conduction and polarity-independent filament dissolution are addressed. Moreover, it will be discussed how the models need to be extended in order to address further properties of the switching process.