  Metallic oxides encased within Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) structures can
demonstrate both unipolar and bipolar switching mechanisms, rendering them the
capability to exhibit a multitude of resistive states and ultimately function
as memory elements. Identifying the vital physical mechanisms behind resistive
switching can enable these devices to be utilized more efficiently, reliably
and in the long-term. In this paper, we present a new approach for analysing
resistive switching by modelling the active core of two terminal devices as 2D
and 3D grid circuit breaker networks. This model is employed to demonstrate
that substantial resistive switching can only be supported by the formation of
continuous current percolation channels, while multi-state capacity is ascribed
to the establishment and annihilation of multiple channels.
