Electrical Bistabilities and Memory Stabilities of Organic Bistable Devices Utilizing C-60 Molecules Embedded in a Polymethyl Methacylate Matrix with an Al2O3 Blocking Layer

Abstract

Current-voltage (I-V) curves for Al/fullerene (C-60) nanoparticles embedded in poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) layer/indium-tin oxide (ITO) organic bistable devices (OBDs) with an Al2O3 blocking layer showed a current bistability. The ON and OFF currents of the OBDs with an Al2O3 blocking layer at 1 V were 1 x 10(-5) and 1 x 10(-8) angstrom, respectively, and their ON/OFF ratio is 1 x 10(3), which was much larger than those of the OBDs without an Al2O3 blocking layer. Write-read-erase-read characteristics showed that the OBDs exhibited wide-range current hysteresis, which could be used as rewritable nonvolatile memory cells. The endurance number of the ON/OFF switchings for the OBDs was above 5 x 10(4) cycles. The effect of the Al2O3 blocking layer on the Al/C-60 nanoparticles embedded in PMMA layer/Al2O3/ITO device is described on the basis of the I-V results.