Additive-driven assembly of block copolymer-nanoparticle hybrid materials for solution processable floating gate memory

Floating gate memory devices were fabricated using well-ordered gold nanoparticle/block copolymer hybrid films as the charge trapping layers, SiO(2) as the dielectric layer, and poly(3-hexylthiophene) as the semiconductor layer. The charge trapping layer was prepared via self-assembly. The addition of Au nanoparticles that selectively hydrogen bond with pyridine in a poly(styrene-b-2-vinyl pyridine) block copolymer yields well-ordered hybrid materials at Au nanoparticle loadings up to 40 wt %. The characteristics of the memory window were tuned by simple control of the Au nanoparticle concentration. This approach enables the fabrication of well-ordered charge storage layers by solution processing, which is extendable for the fabrications of large area and high density devices via roll-to-roll processing.