Device size dependence of resistance switching performance in metal/manganite/metal trilayers

Abstract We have fabricated epitaxial Pr 0.8 Ca 0.2 MnO 3 (PCMO) insulator layers sandwiched between Al top electrodes and epitaxial La 0.6 Sr 0.4 MnO 3 bottom electrode layers on (LaAlO 3 ) 0.3 –(Sr 2 AlTaO 6 ) 0.7 (1 0 0) substrates. Various sizes of metal/insulator/metal device structures were formed by photolithography and Ar ion milling. Device size dependence of Al/PCMO interface resistances was well fitted by series-parallel equivalent circuit, indicating several types of different resistance components exist at the Al/PCMO interfaces. These different resistance components suggest that defects might distribute inhomogeneously at the Al/PCMO interfaces which exhibit the resistance switching.