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Doping induced enhancement of resistive switching responses in ZnO for neuromorphic computing

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Abstract

We examine the morphological, magnetic and resistive switching characteristics of ZnO co-doped with both cobalt (Co) and gadolinium (Gd) for the purpose of Neuromemristive systems. By employing hydrothermal route synthesized nanoparticles and their corresponding lab-made target for sputtering methods; we incorporate gadolinium (Gd) and Cobalt (Co) into the ZnO structure. This results in an augmentation of grain volume and oxygen vacancies, which signifies the occurrence of grain growth. The increase in size of the nanoparticles decreases the interfaces between the grains, resulting in improved electrical response and the presence of ferromagnetism at 300 K in Gd and Co-doped ZnO nanoparticles. We introduce a memristor that is fabricated using sputtering and consists of a 3% (Co, Gd) co–ZnO layer interposed between Au electrodes. Characterization verifies the existence of the ZnO layer and the presence of Au electrodes that are 50 nm in thickness. The memristor demonstrates consistent analog resistance switching, enabling control over the conductance between states of low and high resistance. The memristor demonstrates asymmetry resistance switching, enabling control over the conductance between states of low and high resistance, which can be attributed to the underlying electrochemical processes occurring within the device. Statistical perseverance studies demonstrate consistent resistive switching with low variation over 120 pulse cycles at normal 300 K. The recognition properties exhibit four clearly defined current states that remain stable for a duration of up to 10 K seconds, indicating exceptional thermal stability. The switching mechanism of the physical model is elucidated by the migration of Au ions during the "set" process leading to the formation of conductive pathways or filaments and the rupture of the filament during the "reset" process. The I-V curves (current–voltage curves) suggest the presence of space-charge limited current, highlighting the creation of conductive filaments. This study demonstrates the ability to precisely adjust resistance in response to different voltages, showing its potential as Neuromemristive system for biological synapse.

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Data availability

On reasonable request, the corresponding author will make available the datasets used and/or created during this investigation. The experimental work and language of the manuscript are also unique. There was no evidence of plagiarism in the submitted manuscript. If the reviewer insists on seeing the evidence, we would gladly deliver it to them in a plagiarized form. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors extend their thanks to Researchers Supporting Project Number (RSP2024R348), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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There is no financial interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Lakki Marwat, Lakki Marwat, 2842, KP, Pakistan

    Naveed Ur Rahman, Muhammad Adil Mahmood, Nasir Rahman, Mohammad Sohail & Rajwali Khan

  2. Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, WI, US

    Shahid Iqbal

  3. Department of Physics and Teaching Methods, Tashkent State Pedagogical University, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    Mukhlisa Soliyeva

  4. Department of Physics & Astronomy, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Bandar Ali Al-Asbahi

  5. Department of Physics, United Arab Emirates University, 15551, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    Rajwali Khan

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  1. Naveed Ur Rahman
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  8. Rajwali Khan
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Contributions

This paper was written and revised collaboratively Naveed Ur Rahman, Muhammad Adil Mahmood, Nasir Rahman, Mohammad Sohail, Shahid Iqbal, Mukhlisa Soliyeva, Bandar Ali Al-Asbahi, Rajwali Khan created the idea and submitted the paper. Mukhlisa Soliyeva and Bandar Ali Al-Asbahi collaborated to revise both the comments and the entire paper. They diligently corrected grammatical errors and addressed any technical questions.

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Correspondence to Rajwali Khan.

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Rahman, N.U., Mahmood, M.A., Rahman, N. et al. Doping induced enhancement of resistive switching responses in ZnO for neuromorphic computing. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 35, 644 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-024-12415-9

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