| Summary: | In this work, we investigate the resistive switching behaviors of HfO<sub>2</sub>-based resistive random-access memory (RRAM) in two different oxidants (H<sub>2</sub>O and O<sub>3</sub>) in an atomic layer deposition system. Firstly, the surface characteristics of the Ni/HfO<sub>2</sub>/Si stack are conducted by atomic force microscopy (AFM). A similar thickness is confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. The surface roughness of the HfO<sub>2</sub> film by O<sub>3</sub> (O<sub>3</sub> sample) is smoother than in the sample by H<sub>2</sub>O (H<sub>2</sub>O sample). Next, we conduct electrical characteristics by current–voltage (I–V) and capacitor–voltage (C–V) curves in an initial process. The forming voltage of the H<sub>2</sub>O sample is smaller than that of the O<sub>3</sub> sample because the H<sub>2</sub>O sample incorporates a lot of H<sup>+</sup> in the film. Additionally, the smaller capacitor value of the H<sub>2</sub>O sample is obtained due to the higher interface trap in H<sub>2</sub>O sample. Finally, we compare the resistive switching behaviors of both samples by DC sweep. The H<sub>2</sub>O sample has more increased endurance, with a smaller on/off ratio than the O<sub>3</sub> sample. Both have good non-volatile properties, which is verified by the retention test.
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