Nanoscale characterization of resistive switching using advanced conductive atomic force microscopy based setups

Conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) is a powerful tool for studying resistive switching at the nanoscale. By applying sequences of I-V curves and biased scans the write, erase and read operations in a dielectric can be simulated in situ. CAFM can be used to monitor the inhomogeneities produced by a previous device level stress, for example conductive filaments formation and disruption. In this case the removal of the top electrode may be a problem. One attractive solution is to etch the top electrode using the CAFM tip for dielectric surface analysis, and one may also etch the dielectric to observe the shape of the filament in three dimensions. The genuine combination of electrical and mechanical stresses via CAFM tip can lead to additional setups, such as pressure modulated conductance microscopy. In the future, new experiments and CAFM related techniques may be designed to deep into the knowledge of resistive switching.