Toward Nano-Electronics Applications of Metal-Insulator Transition Materials - Atomic Layer Deposition of VO$_{2}$ and a Selector Device Concept

We discuss advances toward applications of Metal-Insulator Transition (MIT) materials in nano-electronics based on the prototypal MIT material VO$_{2}$. A fabrication friendly method to deposit VO$_{2}$ is required for VO$_{2}$ applications. VO$_{2}$ films deposited by techniques suitable for manufacturing, including Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), have typically been non-continuous and have shown a strongly degraded MIT when film thickness was below 40-50 nm. We show how the nanoscale morphology of VO$_{2}$ films can be controlled to realize smooth ultrathin (thinner than 10 nm) crystalline films with ALD. We demonstrate that the films possess both a structural and an electronic transition. The film resistivity of ultrathin films changes by more than two orders of magnitude across the MIT. Incipient nanoelectronics based on Metal-Insulator-Transition (MIT) materials currently features promising device concepts that require further development and understanding. A candidate first nanoelectronic application for MIT materials is a selector element, which is used to prevent sneak currents in dense cross bar memory arrays. Making use of simulations we elaborate a device concept for a selector element based on MIT materials such as VO$_{2}$ and SmNiO$_{3}$.