Self-Rectifying Gr/TMDC Heterostructures: Candidates for Resistive Switching Memory Devices

Self-rectifying graphene-transition metal dichalcogenides (Gr/TMDCs)-based resistive random-access memory (ReRAM or RRAM) has been shown to be a promising candidate for next-generation nonvolatile memory technology. However, the low resistance on/off ratio and the high operating voltage are still big challenges for low power-consuming devices. Here, we reported Au/Gr/MoS2/Au- and Au/Gr/WS2/Au-based ReRAM structures, thereby operating at a low voltage with a high on/off current ratio of ∼103. Also, our results showed excellent endurance (∼2 × 102 cycles) and stable retention performance (∼104 s), which demonstrate the promising characteristics of memory devices. Additionally, in the Au/Gr/WS2/Au structure, the rectifying zone is observed at −2 V, which prevents interference with adjacent cells during reading operations. In reverse bias, the purposed device has an intrinsically self-rectifying property, not requiring to reset the device for operation. The self-rectifying property of the Au/Gr/WS2/Au structure allows it to cover a 48 × 49 RRAM array. This research on Gr/TMDCs-based RRAM provides the basis for future miniaturization of nanoelectronics.