Quantum point contacts and resistive switching in Ni/NiO nanowire junctions

Metal oxide devices that exhibit resistive switching are leading candidates for non-volatile memory applications due to their potential for fast switching, low-power operation, and high device density. It is widely accepted in many systems that two-state resistive behavior arises from the formation and rupture of conductive filaments spanning the oxide layer. However, means for controlling the filament geometry, which critically influences conduction, have largely been unexamined. Here, we explore the connection between filament geometry and conductance in a model resistive switching system based on the junction of two nickel/nickel oxide core/shell nanowires. Variable temperature current-voltage measurements indicate that either wide metallic filaments or narrow semiconducting filaments can be preferentially formed by varying the current compliance during electroformation. Metallic filaments behave as a conventional metallic resistance in series with a small barrier, while semiconducting filaments behave as quantum point contacts. The ability to tune filament geometry and behavior through the electroforming process may open avenues for enhanced functionality in nanoscale memristive systems.