Single crystal halide perovskites for resistive switching memory devices and artificial synapse

Abstract

Contemporary systems in artificial intelligence and edge computing require nonvolatile memories that integrate extremely low programming energy with enduring reliability. Halide perovskites exhibit significant potential due to their lattice structures, which promote the interaction of ionic and electronic transport, thus allowing for reliable resistive switching. Despite advancements, polycrystalline films continue to face challenges such as grain-boundary traps and unpredictable ion migration. Consequently, recent efforts have focused on single-crystal architectures to address these issues. Defect-lean ABX₃ single-crystal halide perovskites meet these requirements as the structured lattice allows swift carrier transport with controlled ion movement. Recent studies have outlined crystallographic principles, manufacturing processes, and interfacial chemistries that produce domains sufficiently coherent to facilitate dependable resistive-switching memories. The removal of grain boundaries in memory elements enhances the stability of ion-mediated electrochemical metallization and valence variation processes, allowing the creation of multilevel states with minimal energy consumption during programming. Ultralow trap populations identified in epitaxial layers promote bias-stable operation when integrated with precisely matched dielectric or polymer interlayers, effectively reducing leakage currents during extended cycling. The orientation of crystals significantly affects the directions of vacancy migration and alters channel conductance, even when subjected to high thermal stress. The integration of insights from growth science and interface modification leads to a comprehensive approach for utilizing simultaneous ionic and electronic transport in single-crystal halide perovskites across various manufacturing scales. Given this foundation, it appears that rapid advancements are on the way for energy-efficient memory and logic components designed for compact, data-intensive electronics that enable artificial intelligence, edge computing, and adaptable wearable technologies shortly.