Highly transparent nonvolatile resistive memory devices from silicon oxide and graphene

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 3; no. 1; p. 1101
• Main Authors: Yao, Jun, Lin, Jian, Dai, Yanhua, Ruan, Gedeng, Yan, Zheng, Li, Lei, Zhong, Lin, Natelson, Douglas, Tour, James M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.10.2012; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/301/1005/1008; Electronics; Graphite - chemistry; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Nanotechnology; Oxides - chemistry; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Silicon Compounds - chemistry
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2110

Transparent electronic memory would be useful in integrated transparent electronics. However, achieving such transparency produces limits in material composition, and hence, hinders processing and device performance. Here we present a route to fabricate highly transparent memory using SiO x as the active material and indium tin oxide or graphene as the electrodes. The two-terminal, nonvolatile resistive memory can also be configured in crossbar arrays on glass or flexible transparent platforms. The filamentary conduction in silicon channels generated in situ in the SiO x maintains the current level as the device size decreases, underscoring their potential for high-density memory applications, and as they are two-terminal based, transitions to three-dimensional memory packages are conceivable. As glass is becoming one of the mainstays of building construction materials, and conductive displays are essential in modern handheld devices, to have increased functionality in form-fitting packages is advantageous. Flexible electronic devices are widely considered to have significant potential for a range of applications. Here the authors present a bendable and transparent memory based on graphene electrical contacts and silica as the memory element.