Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T01:52:02.107Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Small Organic Molecules for Electrically Re-writable Non-volatile Polymer Memory Devices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Iulia Salaoru
Affiliation:
[email protected], De Montfort University, Emerging Technologies Research Centre, Leicester, United Kingdom
Shashi Paul
Affiliation:
[email protected], De Montfort University, Emerging Technologies Research Centre, Hawthorn Building, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, United Kingdom
Get access

Abstract

The usage of organic materials in the manufacture of electronic polymer memory devices is on the rise. Polymer memory devices are fabricated by depositing a blend (an admixture of organic polymer, small molecules and nanoparticles) between two metal electrodes. The primary aim is to produce devices that exhibit two distinct electrical conductance states when a voltage is applied. These two states can be viewed as the realisation of non-volatile memory. This is an interesting development; however, there are a number of theories that have been proposed to explain the observed electrical behaviour. We have proposed a model that is based on electric dipole formation in the polymer matrix. Here, we investigate further the proposed model by deliberately creating electric dipoles in a polymer matrix using electron donors (8-Hydroxyquinoline, Tetrathiafulvalene and Bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene) and electron acceptors (7,7,8,8-Tetracyanoquinodimethane, Tetracyanoethylene and Fullerene) small molecules.

Two types of structures were investigated (i) a metal/blend of polymer and small molecules/metal (MOM), device and (ii) a metal/insulator/blend of small molecules and polymer/semiconductor (MIS) architecture. A blend of polymer and small organic molecules was prepared in methanol and spin-coated onto a glass substrate marked with thin aluminium (Al) tracks; a top Al contact was then evaporated onto the blend after drying - this resulted in a metal-organic-metal structure. The MIS structures consisted of an ohmic bottom Al contact, p-type Si, a polymer blend (two small organic molecules and insulating polymer), followed by polyvinyl acetate and finally a top, circular Al electrode. In-depth FTIR studies were carried out to understand the observed electrical behaviour. An electrical analysis of these structures was performed using an HP4140B picoammeter and an HP 4192A impedance analyser at a frequency of 1 MHz.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

[1] Yu, G., Gao, J., Hummelen, J.C., Wudl, F., Heeger, A.J., Science 270, (1995), 1789.10.1126/science.270.5243.1789Google Scholar
[2] Tang, C.W., Vanslyke, S.A., Appl. Phys. Lett. 51, (1987), 913.Google Scholar
[3] Garnier, F., Hajlaoui, R., Yassar, A., Srivastava, P., Science, 265, (1994), 1684.Google Scholar
[4] Paul, S., Pearson, C., Molloy, A., Cousins, M. A., Green, M., Kolliopoulou, S., Dimitrakis, P., Normad, P., Tsoukalas, D. and Petty, M.C., Nano Lett. 3, 533536 (2003),10.1021/nl034008tGoogle Scholar
[5] Prakash, A. et al., Journal of Applied Physics, 2006. 100: p. 054309 Google Scholar
[6] Möller, S., Perlov, C., Jackson, W., Taussig, C., and Forrest, S.R, Nature 426, 166169. (2003)Google Scholar
[7] Aleshin, A.N., Alexandrova, E.L., Physics of the Solid State 50(10) (2008) 1895.Google Scholar
[8] Lankhorst, M.H.R., Ketelaars, B.S.S.S. and Wolters, R.A.M., Nature materials, 4, 347, (2005)Google Scholar
[9]Welnic, W., Wuttig, M., Materials Today, 11(6), (2008)10.1016/S1369-7021(08)70118-4Google Scholar
[10] Salaoru, I., Paul, S., Journal of Optolelectronics and Advanced Materials 10(12), 3461, (2008).Google Scholar
[11] Salaoru, I., Paul, S., Phil.Trans.R.Soc.A, 367, 4227, (2009).Google Scholar
[12] Salaoru, I., Paul, S., Advances in Science and Technology 54, 486 (2008).Google Scholar
[13] Krieger, J.H., Trubin, S.V., Vaschenko, S.B., Yudanov, N.F., Synth.Met.,122, (2001), 199 10.1016/S0379-6779(00)01354-0Google Scholar
[14] Lu, X.B., Dai, J.Y., Appl.Phyl.Lett., 88, (2006), 113104 Google Scholar
[15] Mabrook, M.F., Jombert, A.S., Machin, S.E., Pearson, C., Kolb, D., Coleman, K.S., Zeze, D.A., Petty, M.C., Materials Science and Engineering B, 159160 (14), (2009),Google Scholar
[16] Kim, H.J., Jung, J.H., Ham, J.H. and Kim, T.W., Japanesse Journal of Applied Physics, 47(6) (2008) 5083.Google Scholar
[17] Ham, J.H., Jung, J.H., Kim, H.J., Lee, D.U. and Kim, T.W., Japanesse Journal of Applied Physics 47(6) (2008) 4988.Google Scholar
[18] Chu, C.W., Ouyang, J., Tseng, J.H., Yang, Y., Adv.Mater. 17 (2005) 1440.Google Scholar
[19] Salaoru, I., Paul, S., Mater.Res.Soc.Symp.Proc, 1114–G12, (2009).Google Scholar
[20] Salaoru, I., Paul, S. accepted to Thin Solid FilmsGoogle Scholar
[21] Ouyang, J.Y. et. al., Appl.Phys.Lett. 86 (2005) 123507.10.1063/1.1887819Google Scholar
[22] Prime, D., Paul, S., Appl.Phys.Lett., 96, (2010), 043120,Google Scholar
[23] Prime, D., Paul, S., Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 0997–I03–01 (2007).Google Scholar
[24] Kanwal, A., Paul, S. and Chhowalla, M., MRS Proc. 830 (2005) 349.Google Scholar
[25] Paul, S., Kanwal, A., Chhowalla, M., Nanotechnology 17 (2006) 145.Google Scholar
[26] Paul, S, IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology 6 (2007) 191.10.1109/TNANO.2007.891824Google Scholar
[27] Yang, Y., Ouyang, J., Ma, L., Tseng, J.H., Chu, C.W., Adv. Funct. Mater. 16 (2006) 1001.Google Scholar