Modeling of the Wire Growth Process in Programmable Metallization Cell Memristors

This paper presents the simulation of the metal filament-forming process in an RF memristor switch based on the programmable metallization cell (PMC). The algorithm employed to simulate all possible transitions uses the Monte Carlo kinetic method and the Schrödinger-Laplace equation. The simulation reveals a fractal geometry of the formed wire at different DC programming voltages. A wire formed by a DC programming voltage of 10 V can support a maximum DC power of 25 mW, making it more susceptible to destruction by a high current. In contrast, a wire formed at a DC programming voltage of 1 V supports DC power up to 59 mW.