Resistive devices and methods of operation thereof

A method of operating a resistive switching device, the method comprising:

• applying a program stress to a two terminal resistive memory unit, the program stress being applied at a program voltage configured to change a state of the memory unit from a first state to a second state;
• after applying the program stress, applying a read stress to the two terminal resistive memory unit, the read stress being applied at a read voltage;
• and
• after applying the read stress, applying a verification/stabilization stress to the two terminal resistive memory unit, the verification/stabilization stress being applied at a verification/stabilization voltage, wherein the verification/stabilization voltage is between the read voltage of the two terminal resistive memory unit and a erase voltage of the two terminal resistive memory unit.

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a memory cell array comprising an array of two terminal resistive memory units;
• a program circuit configured to program the array of two terminal resistive memory units;
• a verification/stabilization circuit configured to apply a verification/stabilization stress on a first memory unit of the memory cell array, the verification/stabilization stress being a voltage between a read voltage of a memory unit of the array of two terminal resistive memory units and a erase or a program voltage of a memory unit of the array of two terminal resistive memory units;
• and
• a detection circuit configured to detect a state of the first memory unit.