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Utilizing NDR effect to reduce switching threshold variations in memristive devices

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Abstract

Variations in the switching threshold voltage of memristive devices present significant challenges for their integration into large-scale circuits. In this paper, we propose to address this problem by adding a device exhibiting S-type (N-type) negative differential resistance (NDR) in series (parallel) with memristive devices. The main effect comes from the transition between low- and high-conductivity branches of the NDR device, which leads to a redistribution of the voltage drop inside the device stack, and, as a result, the effective lowering of variations in the switching threshold. The idea is checked experimentally using a TiO2−x memristive device connected in parallel with a tunnel GaAs diode.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under the MURI grant FA9550-12-1-0038.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA

    Fabien Alibart & Dmitri B. Strukov

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  1. Fabien Alibart
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  2. Dmitri B. Strukov
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Correspondence to Dmitri B. Strukov.

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Alibart, F., Strukov, D.B. Utilizing NDR effect to reduce switching threshold variations in memristive devices. Appl. Phys. A 111, 199–202 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-013-7550-5

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