Resistive switching and conduction mechanisms in PLD-grown GdMnO3/SNTO thin film device
摘要
This study explores the resistive switching behaviour of epitaxial GdMnO₃ (GMO) thin films grown on Nb-doped SrTiO₃ (SNTO) (100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). XRD analysis confirms orthorhombic structure with strong (100) orientation and out-of-plane/in-plane strain values of –0.246% and + 0.006%, respectively. Atomic force microscopy reveals an island-type growth with average grain size of ~ 17.8 nm and surface roughness of 2.82 nm. The fabricated device exhibits bipolar resistive switching with a high ON/OFF ratio of ~ 103 at a low read voltage of 2 V, and a SET threshold voltage of ~ 1.89 V. The device shows stable endurance over 50 switching cycles. The dominant conduction mechanisms are trap-controlled space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC) in the forward bias and Poole–Frenkel emission in the reverse bias. These results underscore the suitability of GMO/SNTO devices for non-volatile memory and neuromorphic computing applications.