Electrode-dependent resistive switching in sodium alginate-based ReRAM: Thermal stability and aging effects

This study investigates electrode-dependent resistive switching in sodium alginate (SA)-based resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) devices and evaluates their thermal stability and aging effects. Four device architectures-Ag/SA/Al, Ag/SA/ITO, Ag/SA/Ag, and Ag/SA/Cu-were fabricated using a drop-casting method and characterized for electrical performance under varying conditions. Among these, the Ag/SA/Cu device exhibited better characteristics, including a low switching voltage (∼1.0 V), strong hysteresis, high ON/OFF ratio, and excellent endurance over 1000 cycles. Temperature-dependent analysis (25–95 °C) revealed stable switching behavior despite minor morphological changes and increased signal noise, confirming robustness under thermal stress. Mechanistic insights indicate that electrochemical metallization (ECM) driven by Cu 2+ ion migration governs the switching process. These findings highlight the importance of electrode selection in optimizing biodegradable memory materials and underscore the potential of SA-based ReRAMs for sustainable, non-volatile memory applications in environments subject to thermal fluctuations.