As semiconductors, transistors, diodes, and other electronic components are reaching its physical limitations, novel approaches in computation are being pursued. One of them is to mimic the human brain to create artificial neural circuits that have huge applications in the fields of pattern recognition and parallel computing [1] while maintaining ultralow power consumption. One approach to build these networks is an integration of memristive devices where resistance changes are used to realize binary or multinary switches. These advanced electronic components that are an equivalent to synapsis in the human brain, can change their electrical resistance reversibly over a billion cycles. Great efforts have been done to build these devices using a wide range of oxides for real life applications [2]. These devices typically work on the principle of valance change memories where migration of oxygen anions and vacancies result in local redox reactions creating pathways for higher conductivity (low resistive state) and vice versa for lower conductivity (high resistive state).

However, a clear structural insight into the dynamics of these devices is still unclear till date. Very demanding work has been done to bridge this gap using in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to study memristive devices [3]. However, the interpretation and evaluation is complex and sometimes misleading due to the challenging sample preparation using dual beam ion microscopes, the contamination effects [4] and typically effects due to the electron beam [5] during TEM characterization are not addressed. In this paper, we would like to discuss the electron beam induced changes in silicon oxide as a commonly used example system and its influence on the structural changes and hence electrical properties on the nano-electronic devices.