Role of Hydroxyl on Conductivity Switching of Poly(ethylene oxide)/TiO₂ Electrical Bistable Devices

Abstract

Conductivity switching in a semiconductor nanoparticle/polymer composite electrical bistable device is typically associated with the electron trapping between the semiconductor trap center and the polymer matrix. However, the switch‐on mechanism is still not clear, and even in the same metal oxide (MO) nanoparticle/polymer system, two different models are applied to explain the conductivity switching mechanisms, including Fowler–Nordheim (F–N) tunneling current and trapped charge‐limit‐current (TCLC). Therefore, the analysis of the conductivity‐switching mechanism in MO/polymer composite devices is crucial to facilitate technology development. Herein, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) films are deposited on top of the various TiO2 films, and the two different electrical bistabilities are observed. The corresponding conductivity‐switching mechanisms are found to be significantly related to the different TiO2 surface traps. The results demonstrate that the F–N tunneling current dominates in the devices where a large number of hydroxyl groups are present in TiO2, whereas, after removing the hydroxyl groups from the device, the switching‐on current is dominated by the TCLC mechanism.

Development of Flexible Plasticized Ion Conducting Polymer Blend Electrolytes Based on Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA): Chitosan (CS) with High Ion Transport Parameters Close to Gel Based Electrolytes

“…A large network of ion conduction may be formed by the incorporation of plasticizer molecules into the host polymer, as shown in Figure 6 a [ 72 ]. According to recent research, the conductivity of thin films may be improved by increasing the amount of existing hydroxyl groups [ 73 ]. To lower intermolecular tensions, increase the mobility of its polymeric chains and enhance mechanical properties such as the extensibility of the resultant film, GL was essential [ 28 , 74 ].…”

Estudio de la conmutación resistiva a partir de la caracterización eléctrica de estructuras MIM

“…Este caso concreto del efecto túnel se denomina túnel Fowler-Nordheim en honor a quienes primero lo definieron [136]. Si al trazar un gráfico de ln(J/E 2 ) frente a 1/E la relación obtenida es lineal, se puede afirmar que el mecanismo de conducción es el efecto túnel F-N, ya que éste es independiente de la temperatura [137][138][139].…”

“…El efecto túnel directo también es independiente de la temperatura, mostrando una relación lineal entre ln(J/E 2 ) y ln(1/E) [137][138][139]. • Mecanismos de conducción limitados por el bulk:…”