Writing and Erasing Mechanisms of Stable Nonvolatile Memory Devices Based on SnO2 Nanoparticle/Polystyrene Nanocomposites

Abstract

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra and transmission electron microscopy images showed that SnO2 nanoparticles were randomly distributed in the polystyrene (PS) layer. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements on the Al/SnO2 nanoparticles embedded in PS layer/p-Si devices at 300 K showed a clockwise hysteresis with a large flatband voltage shift due to the existence of SnO2 nanoparticles. Capacitance-time measurements showed that the devices exhibited excellent memory retention characteristics at ambient conditions. The writing and the erasing mechanisms for the Al/SnO2 nanoparticles embedded in PS layer/p-Si devices are described on the basis of the C-V results and energy band diagrams.