Improvements in Resistive and Capacitive Switching Behaviors in Ga₂O₃ Memristors via High-Temperature Annealing Process

This study investigates the effect of a high-temperature annealing process on the characteristics and performance of a memristor based on a Ag/Ga₂O₃/Pt structure. Through X-ray diffraction analysis, successful phase conversion from amorphous Ga₂O₃ to β-Ga₂O₃ is confirmed, attributed to an increase in grain size and recrystallization induced by annealing. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed a higher oxygen vacancy in annealed Ga₂O₃ thin films, which is crucial for conductive filament formation and charge transport in memristors. Films with abundant oxygen vacancies exhibit decreased set voltages and increased capacitance in a low-resistive state, enabling easy capacitance control depending on channel presence. In addition, an excellent memory device with a high on/off ratio can be implemented due to the reduction of leakage current due to recrystallization. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a thin film suitable for a memristor by increasing the oxygen vacancy in the Ga₂O₃ film while improving the overall crystallinity through the annealing process. This study highlights the significance of annealing in modulating capacitance and high-resistive/low-resistive state properties of Ga₂O₃ memristors, contributing to optimizing device design and performance. This study underscores the significance of high-temperature annealing in improving the channel-switching characteristics of Ga₂O₃-based memristors, which is crucial for the development of low-power, high-efficiency memory device.