One-step fabrication of CdS:Mo–CdMoO4 core–shell nanoribbons for nonvolatile memory devices with high resistance switching

Abstract

Nano-field-effect transistor (nano-FET)-based nonvolatile memory (NVM) devices fabricated from one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures have attracted much attention due to their superior memory performance. However, the construction of NVM devices is relatively complex due to the multi-step process needed to fabricate the trapping/tunneling layers. Here, we report a one-step fabrication of CdS:Mo–CdMoO₄ core–shell nanoribbons (NRs) for high-performance nano-FET-based NVM devices. The CdMoO₄ shell could serve as both the charge storage media and tunneling layer, thus greatly facilitating the device construction. The resultant NVM devices exhibited a large memory window of 60 V as well as a long retention time of 3600 s. Significantly, the devices showed an excellent resistance switching behavior with a current ON/OFF ratio as high as 10⁶, which is larger than those of most 1D nanostructure-based nano-FET memories. A mechanism associated with defect states caused by oxygen vacancies in the CdMoO₄ shell was proposed to interpret the memory characteristics. Given the excellent memory performance, along with the simple one-step fabrication process, CdS:Mo–CdMoO₄ NR-based NVM devices will have important applications in new-generation high-performance NVM devices.