Magnetic properties and resistive switching in mixture films and nanolaminates consisting of iron and silicon oxides grown by atomic layer deposition

SiO₂-Fe₂O₃ mixture films and nanolaminates were grown by atomic layer deposition from iron trichloride, hexakis(ethylamino)disilane, and ozone at 300 °C. Orthorhombic ɛ-Fe₂O₃ was identified in Fe₂O₃ reference films and in Fe₂O₃ layers grown to certain thicknesses between amorphous SiO₂ layers. SiO₂-Fe₂O₃ films could be magnetized in external fields, exhibiting saturation and hysteresis in nonlinear magnetization-field curves. Electrical resistive switching, markedly dependent on the ratio of the component oxides, was also observed in films with proper composition. For relatively conductive films, application of small signal measurements allowed one to record memory maps with notable squareness and defined distinction between high and low conductance states.