@article{33343, keywords = {Electric fields, Electric-field control, Random access storage, Controlled nanocrack, Nano-electromechanical, Nanoelectromechanical switches, Non-volatile memory, Non-volatile random access memory, Off-state leakage current, ON/OFF current ratio, Electric switches}, author = {Q Luo and Z Guo and H Huang and Q Zou and X Jiang and S Zhang and H Wang and M Song and B Zhang and H Chen and H Gu and G Han and X Yang and X Zou and K.-Y Wang and Z Liu and J Hong and Ramamoorthy Ramesh and L You}, title = {Nanoelectromechanical switches by controlled switchable cracking}, abstract = {Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches could surmount the Boltzmann Tyranny in the current charge-carrier systems. However, thus far, practical implementations of the NEM systems have been hindered by the complicated fabrication processes of forming the extremely small air gap. Here, we realize a very simple NEM switch by exploiting a switchable nanocrack controlled by an electric field in a metallic alloy-ferroelectric heterostructure. The crack is formed in a controllable manner in terms of its initiation, location, and orientation through a bridge-like structure. The open and closed states of the crack are programmed under a cyclic electric field. In addition, an abrupt switching behavior with a nonvolatile high ON/OFF current ratio (>107) is measured owing to the near-zero OFF-state leakage current across the crack. This simple nanocrack switch presents a novel opportunity in the NEM systems, which can be used as a new nonvolatile random-access memory and logic. © 1980-2012 IEEE.}, year = {2019}, journal = {IEEE Electron Device Letters}, volume = {40}, number = {7}, pages = {1209-1212}, publisher = {Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.}, issn = {07413106}, doi = {10.1109/LED.2019.2917924}, note = {cited By 1}, language = {eng}, }