Organic thin-film transistor memory with gold nanocrystals embedded in polyimide gate dielectric

An all-organic memory device based on a copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) thin-film transistor (TFT) using gold nanocrystals embedded in a polyimide gate dielectric is demonstrated. Both the gate dielectric and the active semiconductor layer are organic materials. Discrete gold nanocrystals are adopted as the charge storage medium. Under proper gate bias, gold nanocrystals are charged and discharged, resulting in the modulation of the channel conductance. Current–voltage (I–V ) measurements at room temperature show the memory behaviour of the fabricated devices. The detailed programming and erasing operations are discussed. Low fabrication temperature and low cost are two benefits of the fabricated memory devices, which could provide a low-cost solution for the all organic circuits. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)