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Redox driven conductance changes for resistive memory

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Abstract

The relationship between bias-induced redox reactions and resistance switching is considered for memory devices containing TiO2 or a conducting polymer in “molecular heterojunctions” consisting of thin (2–25 nm) films of covalently bonded molecules, polymers, and oxides. Raman spectroscopy was used to monitor changes in the oxidation state of polythiophene in Au/P3HT/SiO2/Au devices, and it was possible to directly determine the formation and stability of the conducting polaron state of P3HT by applied bias pulses [P3HT = poly(3-hexyl thiophene)]. Polaron formation was strongly dependent on junction composition, particularly on the interfaces between the polymer, oxide, and electrodes. In all cases, trace water was required for polaron formation, leading to the proposal that water reduction acts as a redox counter-reaction to polymer oxidation. Polaron stability was longest for the case of a direct contact between Au and SiO2, implying that catalytic water reduction at the Au surface generated hydroxide ions which stabilized the cationic polaron. The spectroscopic information about the dependence of polaron stability on device composition will be useful for designing and monitoring resistive switching memory based on conducting polymers, with or without TiO2 present.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute for Nanotechnology, 11421 Saskatchewan Dr., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2M9

    Lian C. T. Shoute, Nikola Pekas & Richard L. McCreery

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Dr., Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G2, Canada

    Lian C. T. Shoute & Richard L. McCreery

  3. Xerox Research Centre of Canada, 2660 Speakman Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L5K 2L1, Canada

    Yiliang Wu

Authors
  1. Lian C. T. Shoute
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  2. Nikola Pekas
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  3. Yiliang Wu
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  4. Richard L. McCreery
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Correspondence to Richard L. McCreery.

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Shoute, L.C.T., Pekas, N., Wu, Y. et al. Redox driven conductance changes for resistive memory. Appl. Phys. A 102, 841–850 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-011-6268-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-011-6268-5

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