Photoswitchable organic field-effect transistors and memory elements comprising an interfacial photochromic layer

Abstract

Optical memory elements based on photoswitchable organic field-effect transistors have been designed by using an interfacial layer of photochromic spirooxazine molecules sandwiched between semiconductor and dielectric layers. Optical and electrical programming of the designed devices leads to multiple discrete states demonstrating drastically different electrical characteristics (VTH, IDS) and advanced stability.

OFET‐Based Memory Devices Operating via Optically and Electrically Modulated Charge Separation between the Semiconductor and 1,2‐bis(Hetaryl)ethene Dielectric Layers

“…We have reported very recently memory elements based on a photochromic spirooxazine which showed decent operating voltages (<5 V) and reasonably high switching coefficients of ≈10 3 . [ 29 ] Unfortunately, the programming speeds were still rather low mainly due to fundamental limitations of the used materials and the device architecture.Here we present a concept of the memory elements operating via optically and electrically triggered charge separation between the organic semiconductor ([60]fullerene) and the photochromic dielectric (specially designed 1,2-bis(hetaryl) ethene) layers. The proposed approach allowed us to decrease the device programming time by three orders of magnitude down to few milliseconds with a high potential to reach practically interesting microsecond operation regime.…”

Reversible Optical and Electrical Switching of Air‐Stable OFETs for Nonvolatile Multi‐Level Memories and Logic Gates

“…[ 11 ] Among various photochromic compounds, diarylethenes, due to their extraordinary thermal stability and fatigue resistance, are desirable candidates for applications where long-term stability and cyclability are required (e.g., nonvolatile memory). Considering that organic memory transistors, mostly including fl oating-gate FET and transistors based on organic electrets, which utilize high gate bias to program transistors for tunable threshold voltage, [ 14 ] show great prospects for future high-density data storage devices owing to advantages of nondestructive reading, bi-functionality and direct integrated architecture, [ 15 ] photochromophore-based OFET exhibit great potentials for realizing stable multi-bit memories. Considering that organic memory transistors, mostly including fl oating-gate FET and transistors based on organic electrets, which utilize high gate bias to program transistors for tunable threshold voltage, [ 14 ] show great prospects for future high-density data storage devices owing to advantages of nondestructive reading, bi-functionality and direct integrated architecture, [ 15 ] photochromophore-based OFET exhibit great potentials for realizing stable multi-bit memories.…”

“…[ 4a , 5a , 9a ] Recently, by utilizing photochromores, optical and electrical multi-level storage in organic memory diodes with cross-bar passive matrix arrays [ 12 ] and a dual-gate transistor that combines light-fi eld and electrical-gate effects or combines bottomand top-gate dual modulation to control the drain current [ 13 ] has been reported, respectively. Considering that organic memory transistors, mostly including fl oating-gate FET and transistors based on organic electrets, which utilize high gate bias to program transistors for tunable threshold voltage, [ 14 ] show great prospects for future high-density data storage devices owing to advantages of nondestructive reading, bi-functionality and direct integrated architecture, [ 15 ] photochromophore-based OFET exhibit great potentials for realizing stable multi-bit memories. To the best of our knowledge, photochromophorebased OFET multi-bit memories, especially nonvolatile memory, by independent light or electric modulation have not been signifi cantly reported yet.…”

Atomistic simulations of charge transport in photoswitchable organic-graphene hybrids

“…In this context, photochromic molecules are ideal candidates, as light constitutes a fast, non-invasive and low-cost trigger to remotely control the state of the system [2]. Notably, embedding photochromic SAMs in organic or hybrid field-effect transistors opens the way for the fine-tuning of both morphological and electronic properties of the interfaces at stake in the overall response of the device [3][4][5][6]. In the current library of photoswitches, azobenzene derivatives, which exhibit a reversible light-triggered isomerization between a stable trans and a metastable cis state, stand as the most commonly used [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”