The inevitable current overshoot which follows forming in filamentary RRAM devices is often perceived as a source of variability that should be minimized. This sentiment has led to efforts to curtail the overshoot by decreasing the parasitic capacitance using highly integrated 1T-1R or 1R-1R device structures. While this is readily achievable in single device test structures, it poses an intricate design constraint for memory array designs. Several papers (Degraeve et al., 2010, 2014; Fantini et al., 2013; Raghavan et al., 2013; Padovani et al., 2015) suggest that there is insufficient current to form stable filaments for small parasitic capacitances and/or low current compliance levels. Thus, the relationship between minimizing overshoot current and improved filament stability is tenuous. In this study, we utilize the forming energy-based understanding of filamentary forming to reveal that the parasitic capacitance should be optimized, rather than minimized for better filament control.
Keywords: Current overshoot; Forming; Resistive random access memory (RRAM); Switching variability.