In this article, we report the forming-free resistive switching behavior of a Ru/Dy2O3/TaN memory device incorporating a Dy2O3 thin film fabricated entirely through processing at room temperature. We used X-ray diffraction, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to investigate the structural and chemical features of the Dy2O3 film. The dominant conduction mechanisms in the low- and high-resistance states were ohmic behavior and Poole-Frenkel emission, respectively. The Ru/Dy2O3/TaN memory device exhibited a high resistance ratio and provided nondestructive readout and reliable data retention. This memory device has a great potential for application in nonvolatile resistive switching memory. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.