Electrical memory devices based on inorganic/organic nanocomposites

Abstract

Nonvolatile memory devices based on hybrid inorganic/organic nanocomposites have emerged as excellent candidates for promising applications in next-generation electronic and optoelectronic devices. Among the various types of nonvolatile memory devices, organic bistable devices fabricated utilizing hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites have currently been receiving broad attention because of their excellent performance with high-mechanical flexibility, simple fabrication and low cost. The prospect of potential applications of nonvolatile memory devices fabricated utilizing hybrid nanocomposites has led to substantial research and development efforts to form various kinds of nanocomposites by using various methods. Generally, hybrid inorganic/organic nanocomposites are composed of organic layers containing metal nanoparticles, semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), core-shell semiconductor QDs, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, graphene molecules or graphene oxides (GOs). This review article describes investigations of and developments in nonvolatile memory devices based on hybrid inorganic/organic nanocomposites over the past 5 years. The device structure, fabrication and electrical characteristics of nonvolatile memory devices are discussed, and the switching and carrier transport mechanisms in the hybrid nonvolatile memory devices are reviewed. Furthermore, various flexible memory devices fabricated utilizing hybrid nanocomposites are described and their future prospects are discussed.

An upconverted photonic nonvolatile memory

“…Eventually, the high-energy emission from UC materials are reabsorbed by the active semiconductor layer and more photoexcitons are generated in the active layer, which ultimately influence the charge-trapping efficiency and data storage levels of the memory device. Nanocrystals dispersed in the semiconductor polymer matrix as the charge-trapping element is a critical step in the quest to fabricate low-cost flash memory [35][36][37][38] . Meanwhile, using nanocrystals as charge-trapping elements can control the trapping levels and sites through solution process, which is highly desirable for printed electronics [39][40][41] .…”

Multilevel characteristics and memory mechanisms for nonvolatile memory devices based on CuInS2 quantum dot-polymethylmethacrylate nanocomposites

“…Hybrid inorganic/organic nanocomposites containing inorganic quantum dots (QDs) have currently emerged as excellent candidates in many nanostructure devices due to interest in their promising applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices such as organic field-effect transistors, 1,2 light-emitting diodes, 3,4 photovoltaics, 5 and nonvolatile memory devices. 6,7 Hybrid nanocomposites in nonvolatile memory devices with a nano floating gate have been the focus of significant research because of low power consumption, high mechanical flexibility, and technologically simple and inexpensive fabrication. 8,9 The potential applications of nano floating gate memory (NFGM) devices fabricated utilizing hybrid nanocomposites have led to substantial research efforts to form various nanocomposites that act as charge-storage regions.…”

Focused ion beam and field-emission microscopy of metallic filaments in memory devices based on thin films of an ambipolar organic compound consisting of oxadiazole, carbazole, and fluorene units

“…The intense activity in the study of resistive organic memories is motivated by their very simple structure and ability for scaling to small dimensions. [1][2][3][4][5] Such devices can also be stacked in multiple levels, providing 3-D architectures. 6 Despite this impressive progress, there is no agreement on how resistive thin film memories operate.…”

“…Focused ion beam and field-emission microscopy of metallic filaments in memory devices based on thin films of an ambipolar organic compound consisting of oxadiazole, carbazole, and fluorene units Katharine E. Linton, 3 Martin R. Bryce, 3 and Michael C. Petty We report on the mechanism of operation of organic thin film resistive memory architectures based on an ambipolar compound consisting of oxadiazole, carbazole, and fluorene units. Cross-sections of the devices have been imaged by electron microscopy both before and after applying a voltage.…”