Mg-Induced Enhancement of Memristive Switching in SnO₂ Thin Films

Magnesium-doped tin oxide (SnO₂:Mg) thin films have attracted considerable attention as promising materials for next-generation non-volatile memory devices due to their stable resistive switching behavior and simple fabrication processes. In this work, SnO₂ thin films were fabricated by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis using a precursor solution containing 20 mol.% Mg and systematically investigated to evaluate their memristive switching characteristics, electrical performance, and conduction behavior. Structural analysis confirmed the formation of uniform polycrystalline thin films with a crystallite size of approximately 30 nm, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) revealed an actual Mg content of approximately 5 at.%, indicating partial incorporation of Mg into the SnO₂ lattice. Electrical measurements demonstrated reproducible bipolar resistive switching with an ON/OFF resistance ratio of approximately 10³ and stable switching behavior over multiple cycles with low voltage variation (±5%) compared to previously reported undoped SnO₂ films. The observed improvement in memristive performance is attributed to Mg-induced modifications of defect states and charge-transport pathways within the oxide matrix. Conduction analysis indicates a transition from ohmic behavior at low bias to space-charge-limited conduction (SCLC) at higher voltages, consistent with a quadratic current–voltage relationship (I ∝ V²). These results demonstrate that Mg incorporation is an effective defect-engineering strategy for tuning the electrical properties of SnO₂ thin films and improving their suitability for reliable memristor and non-volatile memory applications. This approach provides a simple and scalable route for engineering oxide-based memristive devices.

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