Switching behaviour of individual Ag-TCNQ nanowires: an in situ transmission electron microscopy study

• Published in: Nanotechnology Vol. 27; no. 42; p. 425703
• Main Authors: Ran, Ke, Rösner, Benedikt, Butz, Benjamin, Fink, Rainer H, Spiecker, Erdmann
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England IOP Publishing 21.10.2016
• Subjects: Ag-TCNQ nanowires; electrical switching; organic electronics; organic memory device; transmission electron microscopy
• ISSN: 0957-4484; 1361-6528
• DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/27/42/425703

The organic semiconductor silver-tetracyanoquinodimethane (Ag-TCNQ) exhibits electrical switching and memory characteristics. Employing a scanning tunnelling microscopy setup inside a transmission electron microscope, the switching behaviour of individual Ag-TCNQ nanowires (NWs) is investigated in detail. For a large number of NWs, the switching between a high (OFF) and a low (ON) resistance state was successfully stimulated by negative bias sweeps. Fitting the experimental I-V curves with a Schottky emission function makes the switching features prominent and thus enables a direct evaluation of the switching process. A memory cycle including writing, reading and erasing features is demonstrated at an individual NW. Moreover, electronic failure mechanisms due to Joule heating are discussed. These findings have a significant impact on our understanding of the switching behaviour of Ag-TCNQ.