Band alignment at memristive metal-oxide interfaces investigated by hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopy

The electronic structure and band alignment at metal/oxide interfaces for nonvolatile memory applications are investigated by hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) and DC transport measurements, using acceptor doped SrTiO3 as a model memristive oxide. Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures with a noble metal (Pt) top electrode form a Schottky barrier and exhibit rectifying properties, while a reactive metal (Ti) as top electrode shows symmetric I(V) characteristics and a flat band situation at the interface. The transition from rectifying to ohmic I(V) relations with increasing Ti thickness is discussed with respect to the electrochemical reaction at the interface, the band alignment at the electrode/oxide interface, and the slope of the energy bands across the MIM structure