We have investigated electrical properties of a chalcogenide-based device with naturally oxidized Al electrodes. Intermediate-resistance (IR) states exhibited by current–voltage (I–V) characteristics, dynamic resistance change as a function of pulse height and decay behavior from a low-resistance state of such a device make multi-state storage feasible. These IR states could be induced by electrical pulses and stable in a period. Device resistances of such a series of states might be related to the number of dendrite filaments across the chalcogenide channel. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.