Resistive switching model for Electrolyte-Oxide-Semiconductor (EOS) structure

We find that the Electrolyte-Oxide-Semiconductor (EOS) structure, which is utilized a lot in micro/nanofluidic devices, is not perfectly insulated as previously believed. There is a significant leakage current through the insulator, and the I-V relationship shows one-way conductivity like a diode. We build a model considering the implantation of ions under forward bias and formation of conductive filaments in the oxide layer. Samples with oxide layers of different thicknesses and various fabrication processes were tested to verify our hypotheses. This structure provides a simple means to fabricate half-fluidic diodes, and can be utilized for ion detection and current control in microfluidic devices.