Resistive switching of alkanethiolated nanoparticle monolayers patterned by electron-beam exposure

Abstract

Carbon-based electronic devices are promising candidates for complementing silicon-based electronics in memory device applications. For example, sputtered thin films of amorphous carbon exhibit memristive behavior. The reported devices, however, have a minimal active area of about 50 nm diameter, leading to large set currents in the μA range. Although power efficiency would benefit from reduced drive currents, resistive switching of amorphous carbon confined to a few cubic nanometers has remained largely unexplored. Here, we investigate resistive switching in 30 nm long and 25 nm wide monolayer arrays of 10 nm gold nanoparticles patterned by direct electron-beam exposure followed by a purpose-designed emulsion-based development process. Electron-beam irradiation transforms the alkanethiol ligands of the gold nanoparticles into a solvent-resistant amorphous carbonaceous matrix allowing pattern development and imparting electronic function. We measure changes in conductivity of up to five orders of magnitude for set currents in the nA range.

Flexible Multistate Data Storage Devices Fabricated Using Natural Lignin at Room Temperature

“…An increase of bias further promotes the local breakdown, which is pyrolysis; the localized carbon-rich region surrounded by voids is formed. ,, The carbons may be an amorphous carbonaceous matrix. The more heat was generated by applying the higher bias, the amorphous carbon region (with poor conductivity due to sp 3 hybridization) can be a locally changed graphite-like region (with a high-conductivity region due to sp 2 hybridization); as a result, the resistance changes from the HRS to the LRS. − Although the formed carbon material at the LRS may be stable, it can be ruptured by Joule heating, which has been confirmed experimentally . Also, rupture can be affected by the length, diameter, and volume fraction .…”

“…The increased thermal energy caused by current concentration through a narrow conduction path induces rupture of the carbon filament at the weakest point and makes a nanogap at the center of the filament, so the HRS forms. ,,, The reversible switching occurs by applying a proper bias to induce an electric field across the nanogap. It can lead to the migration of atoms in the formed carbon-rich region and cause regrowth of the ruptured filament; as a result, the resistance changes to the LRS. , Lignin has a high density of carbon atoms, so the conductive carbon-rich filaments that form during the local breakdown of the lignin layer may be wide and numerous . Therefore, when the reverse bias for reset is applied, the formed carbon-rich filaments do not all completely, but just partially rupture, so the device switches back gradually to the HRS.…”

“…It can lead to the migration of atoms in the formed carbon-rich region and cause regrowth of the ruptured filament; as a result, the resistance changes to the LRS. 48,54 Lignin has a high density of carbon atoms, so the conductive carbon-rich filaments that form during the local breakdown of the lignin layer may be wide and numerous. 47 Therefore, when the reverse bias for reset is applied, the formed carbon-rich filaments do not all completely, but just partially rupture, so the device switches back gradually to the HRS.…”

Artificial Synapses with Short- and Long-Term Memory for Spiking Neural Networks Based on Renewable Materials

“…When electrical bias is applied to the device, the weakest points break down as a result of Joule heating. A large bias can facilitate local breakdown that induces pyrolysis, which generates localized carbon-rich regions that may be converted to amorphous carbon. ,, As the heat applied increases, the amorphous carbon can be converted to localized graphitic structures; this process induces change of conductance. − However, in this study, we controlled the applied bias to avoid binary resistive switching behavior that shows abrupt resistance change . The applied electrical bias does not supply sufficient heat to drive formation of a stable conductive filament, so the unstable filament that forms can be easily ruptured by Joule heating or by mechanical stress induced by the electrical field .…”

Non-ohmic behavior and resistive switching of Au cluster-assembled films beyond the percolation threshold

“…6,8 This has been attributed to either polymer breakdown between junctions or conducting lament formation between individual metallic nanoobjects. [9][10][11] The evolution of the electrical properties of such nanocomposites, upon the application of an electric eld, strongly depends on the volume fraction of the conductive phase and it can be described by the percolation theory. 12,13 Alternatively, networks of metallic nanoparticles produced in the gas phase and subsequently deposited on a substrate also exhibit RS, 14 provided that the thickness of the resulting lm is close to the percolation threshold.…”