Thermally Synthesized Cu/CuO/Cu(Sheet) with Bipolar Resistive Switching

We demonstrated the resistive random access memory (RRAM) characteristics on a thermally treated copper sheet with copper as top and bottom contacts, i.e., in Cu/CuO/Cu (Sheet) configuration. The CuO is synthesized by heating the thin copper sheet under normal ambient conditions. The scanning electron (SEM) and atomic force (AFM) microscopic studies showed relatively smooth surface morphology with copper sheet surface imprints. The fabricated Cu/CuO/Cu (Sheet) RRAM device showed the bipolar digital switching characteristics with ~ 103 Ion/Ioff ratio. The fabricated device structures’ retention time and endurance are ~ 103 s and 102 cycles. Thus, the present investigation suggests the potential of thermally synthesized CuO on a Cu sheet for resistive random access memory applications.