Abstract
A 20-nm SiO2 thin film was deposited using a radio-frequency magnetron sputter to form a Cu/SiO2/Pt structure. Resistance of the Cu/SiO2/Pt device was reversibly switched between the high resistance-state and the low resistance-state using dc voltages. The switching behaviors and the conduction mechanisms suggested that a conducting filament model would best explain the resistance switching. Both unipolar and bipolar switching behaviors were observed in the identical device by using different voltage operations. The detailed switching mechanism can not be differentiated by the switching behaviors directly. This study adopted current sweeping mode, reset current, and sweeping speed to distinguish the conducting model from the thermochemical and the electrochemical reactions.