A Physics-based Memristor Model Based on Chalcogenide Alloy

Memristor, as the fourth fundamental circuit element, has recently attracted considerable attention due to its widespread applications from programmable logic to neural networks. Today, the most representative memristor consists of a thin film of titanium oxide sandwiched by two electrodes. However, such a memristor gives rise to a relatively low switching speed, discouraging it from receiving more research enthusiasm. To overcome the disadvantages of the already established memristors (e.g. low switching speed and poor endurance) and thus to optimize the memristor performance, we proposed a novel memristor concept using chalcogenide alloy that has been widely used for nonvolatile memory storage. According to the developed electro-thermal model, the designed memristor using chalcogenide alloy clearly shows a variation of resistance along with the history of current as well as a fast switching speed and ultra-low energy consumption.