Theoretical investigation of kinetics of a Cu2S-based gap-type atomic switch
Appl. Phys. Lett. 98, 233501 (2011); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3597154 Alpana Nayaka), Tohru Tsuruoka, Kazuya Terabe, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, and Masakazu Aono
ABSTRACT
Atomic switch, operating by forming and dissolving a metal-protrusion in a nanogap, shows an exponentially large bias dependence and a faster switching with increasing temperature and decreasing off-resistance. These major characteristics are explained with a simple model where the electrochemical potential at the subsurface of solid-electrolyte electrode determines the precipitation rate of metal atoms and the electric-field in the nanogap strongly affects the formation of metal-protrusion. Theoretically calculated switching time, based on this model, well reproduced the measured properties of a Cu2SCu2S-based atomic switch as a function of bias, temperature and off-resistance, providing a significant physical insight into the mechanism.Part of this work was conducted under the Key-Technology Research Project, “Atomic Switch Programmed Device,” supported by the MEXT, and the Strategic Japanese-German Cooperative Program, “Faradaic currents and ion transfer numbers in electrochemical atomic switches,” supported by JST. We would like to thank Prof. J. M. Ruitenbeek and Dr. M. Morales-Masis for fruitful discussions on the growth measurement.