Flexible crossbar-structured resistive memory arrays on plastic substrates via inorganic-based laser lift-off

Graphene-enabled laser lift-off for ultrathin displays

Laser lift-off (LLO) of ultrathin polyimide (PI) films is important in the manufacturing of ultrathin displays. However, conventional LLO technologies face challenges in separating the ultrathin PI films without causing mechanical and electrical damage to integrated devices. Here, we propose a graphene-enabled laser lift-off (GLLO) method to address the challenges. The GLLO method is developed by integrating chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown graphene at the interface between a transparent carrier and an ultrathin PI film, exhibiting improved processability and lift-off quality. In particular, the GLLO method significantly mitigates plastic deformation of the PI film and minimizes carbonaceous residues remaining on the carrier. The role of graphene is attributed to three factors: enhancement of interfacial UV absorption, lateral heat diffusion, and adhesion reduction, and experimentations and numerical simulations verify the mechanism. Finally, it is demonstrated that the GLLO method separates ultrathin organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices without compromising performance. We believe that this work will pave the way for utilizing CVD graphene in various laser-based manufacturing applications.

Light-Material Interactions Using Laser and Flash Sources for Energy Conversion and Storage Applications

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the progress in light-material interactions (LMIs), focusing on lasers and flash lights for energy conversion and storage applications. We discuss intricate LMI parameters such as light sources, interaction time, and fluence to elucidate their importance in material processing. In addition, this study covers various light-induced photothermal and photochemical processes ranging from melting, crystallization, and ablation to doping and synthesis, which are essential for developing energy materials and devices. Finally, we present extensive energy conversion and storage applications demonstrated by LMI technologies, including energy harvesters, sensors, capacitors, and batteries. Despite the several challenges associated with LMIs, such as complex mechanisms, and high-degrees of freedom, we believe that substantial contributions and potential for the commercialization of future energy systems can be achieved by advancing optical technologies through comprehensive academic research and multidisciplinary collaborations.

Formation of Cluster-Structured Metallic Filaments in Organic Memristors for Wearable Neuromorphic Systems with Bio-Mimetic Synaptic Weight Distributions

With increasing demand for wearable electronics capable of computing huge data, flexible neuromorphic systems mimicking brain functions have been receiving much attention. Despite considerable efforts in developing practical neural networks utilizing several types of flexible artificial synapses, it is still challenging to develop wearable systems for complex computations due to the difficulties in emulating continuous memory states in a synaptic component. In this study, polymer conductivity is analyzed as a crucial factor in determining the growth dynamics of metallic filaments in organic memristors. Moreover, flexible memristors with bio-mimetic synaptic functions such as linearly tunable weights are demonstrated by engineering the polymer conductivity. In the organic memristor, the cluster-structured filaments are grown within the polymer medium in response to electric stimuli, resulting in gradual resistive switching and stable synaptic plasticity. Additionally, the device exhibits the continuous and numerous non-volatile memory states due to its low leakage current. Furthermore, complex hardware neural networks including ternary logic operators and a noisy image recognitions system are successfully implemented utilizing the developed memristor arrays. This promising concept of creating flexible neural networks with bio-mimetic weight distributions will contribute to the development of a new computing architecture for energy-efficient wearable smart electronics.

Artificial Neuron Devices

Efforts to design devices emulating complex cognitive abilities and response processes of biological systems have long been a coveted goal. Recent advancements in flexible electronics, mirroring human tissue's mechanical properties, hold significant promise. Artificial neuron devices, hinging on flexible artificial synapses, bioinspired sensors, and actuators, are meticulously engineered to mimic the biological systems. However, this field is in its infancy, requiring substantial groundwork to achieve autonomous systems with intelligent feedback, adaptability, and tangible problem-solving capabilities. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in artificial neuron devices. It starts with fundamental principles of artificial synaptic devices and explores artificial sensory systems, integrating artificial synapses and bioinspired sensors to replicate all five human senses. A systematic presentation of artificial nervous systems follows, designed to emulate fundamental human nervous system functions. The review also discusses potential applications and outlines existing challenges, offering insights into future prospects. We aim for this review to illuminate the burgeoning field of artificial neuron devices, inspiring further innovation in this captivating area of research.

Organic Memristor-Based Flexible Neural Networks with Bio-Realistic Synaptic Plasticity for Complex Combinatorial Optimization

Hardware neural networks with mechanical flexibility are promising next-generation computing systems for smart wearable electronics. Several studies have been conducted on flexible neural networks for practical applications; however, developing systems with complete synaptic plasticity for combinatorial optimization remains challenging. In this study, the metal-ion injection density is explored as a diffusive parameter of the conductive filament in organic memristors. Additionally, a flexible artificial synapse with bio-realistic synaptic plasticity is developed using organic memristors that have systematically engineered metal-ion injections, for the first time. In the proposed artificial synapse, short-term plasticity (STP), long-term plasticity, and homeostatic plasticity are independently achieved and are analogous to their biological counterparts. The time windows of the STP and homeostatic plasticity are controlled by the ion-injection density and electric-signal conditions, respectively. Moreover, stable capabilities for complex combinatorial optimization in the developed synapse arrays are demonstrated under spike-dependent operations. This effective concept for realizing flexible neuromorphic systems for complex combinatorial optimization is an essential building block for achieving a new paradigm of wearable smart electronics associated with artificial intelligent systems.

Amorphous ITZO-Based Selector Device for Memristor Crossbar Array

In the era of digital transformation, a memristor and memristive circuit can provide an advanced computer architecture that efficiently processes a vast quantity of data. With the unique characteristic of memristor, a memristive crossbar array has been utilized for realization of nonvolatile memory, logic-in-memory circuit, and neuromorphic system. However, the crossbar array architecture suffers from leakage of current, known as the sneak current, which causes a cross-talk interference problem between adjacent memristor devices, leading to an unavoidable operational error and high power consumption. Here, we present an amorphous In-Sn-Zn-O (a-ITZO) oxide semiconductor-based selector device to address the sneak current issue. The a-ITZO-selector device is realized with the back-to-back Schottky diode with nonlinear current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. Its nonlinearity is dependent on the oxygen plasma treatment process which can suppress the surface electron accumulation layer arising on the a-ITZO surface. The a-ITZO-selector device shows reliable characteristics against electrical stress and high temperature. In addition, the selector device allows for a stable read margin over 1 Mbit of memristor crossbar array. The findings may offer a feasible solution for the development of a high-density memristor crossbar array.

Flexible Memristor Devices Using Hybrid Polymer/Electrodeposited GeSbTe Nanoscale Thin Films

We report on the development of hybrid organic-inorganic material-based flexible memristor devices made by a fast and simple electrochemical fabrication method. The devices consist of a bilayer of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and Te-rich GeSbTe chalcogenide nanoscale thin films sandwiched between Ag top and TiN bottom electrodes on both Si and flexible polyimide substrates. These hybrid memristors require no electroforming process and exhibit reliable and reproducible bipolar resistive switching at low switching voltages under both flat and bending conditions. Multistate switching behavior can also be achieved by controlling the compliance current (CC). We attribute the switching between the high resistance state (HRS) and low resistance state (LRS) in the devices to the formation and rupture of conductive Ag filaments within the hybrid PMMA/GeSbTe matrix. This work provides a promising route to fabricate flexible memory devices through an electrodeposition process for application in flexible electronics.

Flexible strategy of epitaxial oxide thin films

Applying functional oxide thin films to flexible devices is of great interests within the rapid development of information technology. The challenges involve the contradiction between the high-temperature growth of high-quality oxide films and low melting point of the flexible supports. This review summarizes the developed methods to fabricate high-quality flexible oxide thin films with novel functionalities and applications. We start from the fabrication methods, e.g. direct growth on flexible buffered metal foils and layered mica, etching and transfer approach, as well as remote epitaxy technique. Then, various functionalities in flexible oxide films will be introduced, specifically, owing to the mechanical flexibility, some unique properties can be induced in flexible oxide films. Taking the advantages of the excellent physical properties, the flexible oxide films have been employed in various devices. Finally, future perspectives in this research field will be proposed to further develop this field from fabrication, functionality to device.

Multi-level characteristics of TiOx transparent non-volatile resistive switching device by embedding SiO2 nanoparticles

TiOx-based resistive switching devices have recently attracted attention as a promising candidate for next-generation non-volatile memory devices. A number of studies have attempted to increase the structural density of resistive switching devices. The fabrication of a multi-level switching device is a feasible method for increasing the density of the memory cell. Herein, we attempt to obtain a non-volatile multi-level switching memory device that is highly transparent by embedding SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) into the TiOx matrix (TiOx@SiO2 NPs). The fully transparent resistive switching device is fabricated with an ITO/TiOx@SiO2 NPs/ITO structure on glass substrate, and it shows transmittance over 95% in the visible range. The TiOx@SiO2 NPs device shows outstanding switching characteristics, such as a high on/off ratio, long retention time, good endurance, and distinguishable multi-level switching. To understand multi-level switching characteristics by adjusting the set voltages, we analyze the switching mechanism in each resistive state. This method represents a promising approach for high-performance non-volatile multi-level memory applications.

A Battery-Like Self-Selecting Biomemristor from Earth-Abundant Natural Biomaterials

Using the earth-abundant natural biomaterials to manufacture functional electronic devices meets the sustainable requirement of green electronics, especially for the practical application of memristors in data storage and neuromorphic computing. However, the sneak currents flowing though the unselected cells in a large-scale cross-bar memristor array is one of the major problems which need to be tackled. The self-selecting memristors can solve the problem to develop compact and concise integrated circuits. Here, a sustainable natural biomaterial (anthocyanin, C₁₅H₁₁O₆) extracted from plant tissue is demonstrated for ions and electron transport. The capacitive-coupled memristive behavior of as-prepared bioelectronic device can be significantly modulated by diethylmethyl(2-methoxyethyl)ammoium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (DEME-TFSI) ionic liquid (IL). Furthermore, graphene was inserted into biomaterial matrix to manipulate the memristive effects by graphene protonation. This results in a battery-like self-selective memristive effect. This phenomenon is explained by a physical model and density functional theory (DFT) based first-principles calculations. Finally, the self-selective behavior was applied in 0T-1R array configuration, which indicates the battery-like self-selecting biomemristor has potential applications in the brain-inspired computing, data storage systems, and high-density device integration.

Laser-Induced Interfacial Spallation for Controllable and Versatile Delamination of Flexible Electronics

The control of interface status is greatly critical to release large-area, ultrathin flexible electronics from the donor wafer to achieve mechanical flexibility. This paper discovers a laser-induced interfacial spallation process for controllable and versatile delamination of polyimide (PI) films from transparent substrates and makes a comprehensive mechanism study of the controllability of interfacial delamination after laser irradiations. Microscopic observations show that backside irradiations will result in the formation of nanocavities around the PI-glass interface, enabling a significant decrease in interface adhesion. Theoretical calculations indicate that gas products generated from thermal decomposition of PI will cause hydrodynamic spallation of molten PI around the interface. The controllable spallation behavior benefits the formation/elimination of fibrous microconnections between the PI film and glass substrate. A substantial regulation of interfacial micromorphologies can achieve precise control of interface adhesion, mass production of functional nanostructures, and nondestructive peeling of ultrathin flexible devices. The results could be useful for the fabrication of flexible electronics and biomimetic surfaces.

TFT Channel Materials for Display Applications: From Amorphous Silicon to Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

As the need for super-high-resolution displays with various form factors has increased, it has become necessary to produce high-performance thin-film transistors (TFTs) that enable faster switching and higher current driving of each pixel in the display. Over the past few decades, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) has been widely utilized as a TFT channel material. More recently, to meet the requirement of new types of displays such as organic light-emitting diode displays, and also to overcome the performance and reliability issues of a-Si:H, low-temperature polycrystalline silicon and amorphous oxide semiconductors have partly replaced a-Si:H channel materials. Basic material properties and device structures of TFTs in commercial displays are explored, and then the potential of atomically thin layered transition metal dichalcogenides as next-generation channel materials is discussed.

Flexible PZT-Integrated, Bilateral Sensors via Transfer-Free Laser Lift-Off for Multimodal Measurements

Fabrication of functional devices that require a high-temperature annealing process on a thin, temperature-sensitive substrate is a long-standing, crucial issue in flexible electronics. Herein, we propose a transfer-free laser lift-off method to directly fabricate lead zirconate titanate (PZT) piezoelectric sensors that commonly undergo a high-temperature annealing (∼650 °C) on ubiquitous flexible substrates, including polyimide (∼300 °C), polyethylene terephthalate (∼120 °C), and polydimethylsiloxane (∼150 °C). The method includes the steps of fabricating sensors, encapsulating a flexible substrate, and peeling off the device by melting the sacrificial PZT layer at the interface with a sapphire glass. The appropriate fluence of laser energy has been figured out to avoid inadequate stripping or damage of the device. In addition, a process window for reliable stripping of the device has been established among the laser fluence and the thickness of the sacrificial layer and the supporting substrate. Furthermore, the capability of the newly proposed technique has been verified and expanded by successfully integrating several sensors that need skillful low-temperature heating treatment on top of a flexible supporting substrate accordingly before stripping. Finally, a PZT-integrated, bilateral multimodal sensor on a PI substrate has been fabricated, and the device demonstrates excellent performance and stability toward perceiving distributed dynamic pressure and temperature stimuli, revealing its high potential for the fabrication of high-performance devices for multimodal sensing applications.

Cyber-Physiochemical Interfaces

Living things rely on various physical, chemical, and biological interfaces, e.g., somatosensation, olfactory/gustatory perception, and nervous system response. They help organisms to perceive the world, adapt to their surroundings, and maintain internal and external balance. Interfacial information exchanges are complicated but efficient, delicate but precise, and multimodal but unisonous, which has driven researchers to study the science of such interfaces and develop techniques with potential applications in health monitoring, smart robotics, future wearable devices, and cyber physical/human systems. To understand better the issues in these interfaces, a cyber-physiochemical interface (CPI) that is capable of extracting biophysical and biochemical signals, and closely relating them to electronic, communication, and computing technology, to provide the core for aforementioned applications, is proposed. The scientific and technical progress in CPI is summarized, and the challenges to and strategies for building stable interfaces, including materials, sensor development, system integration, and data processing techniques are discussed. It is hoped that this will result in an unprecedented multi-disciplinary network of scientific collaboration in CPI to explore much uncharted territory for progress, providing technical inspiration-to the development of the next-generation personal healthcare technology, smart sports-technology, adaptive prosthetics and augmentation of human capability, etc.

Ultrafast and Chemically Stable Transfer of Au Nanomembrane Using a Water-Soluble NaCl Sacrificial Layer for Flexible Solar Cells

Large-scale industrial application of flexible device has called for development of transfer methods that deliver high yield and stability. Here, we show an ultrafast and chemically stable transfer method by using a water-soluble NaCl sacrificial layer. Extremely thin (10 nm) and large-area (4 in. wafer) free-standing Au nanomembranes (NMs) prepared on silicon substrate were successfully transferred to flexible PDMS substrate by dissolving the NaCl sacrificial layer. This transfer method enables highly transparent and electrically conductive Au NMs on PDMS substrate. To transfer a multilayered optoelectronic device, we fabricated flexible hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cell on a glass substrate and transferred it to a PDMS substrate. There was no degradation of the electrical characteristic of the solar cell after the transfer. This approach enables the integration of high-temperature-processed a-Si:H solar cell onto low-temperature tolerant flexible polymer substrate without chemical contamination or damage.

Photocured Materials with Self-Healing Function through Ionic Interactions for Flexible Electronics

Photocured materials with self-healing function have the merit of long lifetime and environmentally benign preparation process and thus find potential applications in various fields. Herein, a novel imidazolium-containing photocurable monomer, (6-(3-(3(2-hydroxyethyl)-1 H-imidazol-3-ium bromide)propanoyloxy)hexyl acrylate, IM-A), was designed and synthesized. Self-healing polymers were prepared by fast photocuring with IM-A, isobornyl acrylate, 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate, and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate as the monomers. The mechanical and self-healing properties of the polymers were tuned by varying the contents of IM-A and other monomers. The as-prepared self-healing polymer IB7-IM5 exhibited a tensile strength of 3.1 MPa, elongation at break of 205%, healing efficiency of 93%, and a wide healing temperature range from room temperature to 120 °C. The self-healing polymer was also employed as a flexible substrate to fabricate a flexible electronic device, which could be healed and completely restore its conductivity after the device was damaged.

Enhancing the Matrix Addressing of Flexible Sensory Arrays by a Highly Nonlinear Threshold Switch

The increasing need for smart systems in healthcare, wearable, and soft robotics is creating demand for low-power sensory circuits that can detect pressure, temperature, strain, and other local variables. Among the most critical requirements, the matrix circuitry to address the individual sensor device must be sensitive, immune to disturbances, and flexible within a high-density sensory array. Here, a strategy is reported to enhance the matrix addressing of a fully integrated flexible sensory array with an improvement of 108 fold in the maximum readout value of impedance by a bidirectional threshold switch. The threshold switch shows high flexibility (bendable to a radius of about 1 mm) and a high nonlinearity of ≈1010 by using a nanocontact structure strategy, which is revealed and validated by molecular dynamics simulations and experiments at variable mechanical stress. Such a flexible electronic switch enables a new generation of large-scale flexible and stretchable electronic and optoelectronic systems.

Laser Irradiation of Metal Oxide Films and Nanostructures: Applications and Advances

Recent technological advances in developing a diverse range of lasers have opened new avenues in material processing. Laser processing of materials involves their exposure to rapid and localized energy, which creates conditions of electronic and thermodynamic nonequilibrium. The laser-induced heat can be localized in space and time, enabling excellent control over the manipulation of materials. Metal oxides are of significant interest for applications ranging from microelectronics to medicine. Numerous studies have investigated the synthesis, manipulation, and patterning of metal oxide films and nanostructures. Besides providing a brief overview on the principles governing the laser-material interactions, here, the ongoing efforts in laser irradiation of metal oxide films and nanostructures for a variety of applications are reviewed. Latest advances in laser-assisted processing of metal oxides are summarized.

Extremely flat metal films implemented by surface roughness transfer for flexible electronics

We present an innovative approach to fabricate an extremely flat (EF) metal film which was done by depositing metal on an extremely flat mother substrate, then detaching the metal from the substrate. The detached flexible metal films had a roughness that was within 2% of the roughness of the mother substrate, so EFs with R a < 1 nm could be fabricated using the surface roughness transfer method. With quantitative analysis using in situ synchrotron XPS, it was concluded that the chemical reaction of oxygen atoms with the metal film played a critical role in designing a peel-off system to get extremely flat metal films from the mother substrate. The OLED was successfully implemented on the metal film. The OLED's luminance could be increased from 15 142 to 17 100 cd m-2 at 25 mA m-2 by replacing the glass substrate with an EF copper (Cu) substrate, due to the enhanced heat dissipation during the operation. This novel method can be very useful for mass production of large scale, low-cost and high quality metal films using roll-to-roll process.

Observation of Resistive Switching Behavior in Crossbar Core-Shell Ni/NiO Nanowires Memristor

The crossbar structure of resistive random access memory (RRAM) is the most promising technology for the development of ultrahigh-density devices for future nonvolatile memory. However, only a few studies have focused on the switching phenomenon of crossbar RRAM in detail. The main purpose of this study is to understand the formation and disruption of the conductive filament occurring at the crossbar center by real-time transmission electron microscope observation. Core-shell Ni/NiO nanowires are utilized to form a cross-structure, which restrict the position of the conductive filament to the crosscenter. A significant morphological change can be observed near the crossbar center, which results from the out-diffusion and backfill of oxygen ions. Energy dispersive spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy demonstrate that the movement of the oxygen ions leads to the evolution of the conductive filament, followed by redox reactions. Moreover, the distinct reliability of the crossbar device is measured via ex situ experiments. In this work, the switching mechanism of the crossbar core-shell nanowire structure is beneficial to overcome the problem of nanoscale minimization. The experimental method shows high potential to fabricate high-density RRAM devices, which can be applied to 3D stacked package technology and neuromorphic computing systems.

Highly Flexible Resistive Switching Memory Based on the Electronic Switching Mechanism in the Al/TiO2/Al/Polyimide Structure

A highly flexible resistive switching (RS) memory was fabricated in the Al/TiO₂/Al/polyimide structure using a simple and cost-effective method. An electronic-resistive-switching-based flexible memory with high performance that can withstand a bending strain of up to 3.6% was obtained. The RS properties showed no obvious degradation even after the bending tests that were conducted up to 10 000 times, and over 4000 writing/erasing cycles were confirmed at the maximally bent state. The superior electrical properties against the mechanical stress of the device can be ascribed to the electronic RS mechanism related to electron trapping/detrapping, which can prevent the inevitable degradation in the case of the RS related with the ionic defects.

Flexible, Semitransparent, and Inorganic Resistive Memory based on BaTi0.95 Co0.05 O3 Film

Perovskite ceramics and single crystals are commonly hard and brittle due to their small maximum elastic strain. Here, large-scale BaTi_0.95 Co_0.05 O₃ (BTCO) film with a SrRuO₃ (SRO) buffered layer on a 10 µm thick mica substrate is flexible with a small bending radius of 1.4 mm and semitransparent for visible light at wavelengths of 500-800 nm. Mica/SRO/BTCO/Au cells show bipolar resistive switching and the high/low resistance ratio is up to 50. The resistive-switching properties show no obvious changes after the 2.2 mm radius memory being written/erased for 360 000 cycles nor after the memory being bent to 3 mm radius for 10 000 times. Most importantly, the memory works properly at 25-180 °C or after being annealed at 500 °C. The flexible and transparent oxide resistive memory has good prospects for application in smart wearable devices and flexible display screens.

Laser-Material Interactions for Flexible Applications

The use of lasers for industrial, scientific, and medical applications has received an enormous amount of attention due to the advantageous ability of precise parameter control for heat transfer. Laser-beam-induced photothermal heating and reactions can modify nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, nanowires, and two-dimensional materials including graphene, in a controlled manner. There have been numerous efforts to incorporate lasers into advanced electronic processing, especially for inorganic-based flexible electronics. In order to resolve temperature issues with plastic substrates, laser-material processing has been adopted for various applications in flexible electronics including energy devices, processors, displays, and other peripheral electronic components. Here, recent advances in laser-material interactions for inorganic-based flexible applications with regard to both materials and processes are presented.

Ultrafast Self-Healing Nanocomposites via Infrared Laser and Their Application in Flexible Electronics

The continuous evolution toward flexible electronics with mechanical robust property and restoring structure simultaneously places high demand on a set of polymeric material substrate. Herein, we describe a composite material composed of a polyurethane based on Diels-Alder chemistry (PU-DA) covalently linked with functionalized graphene nanosheets (FGNS), which shows mechanical robust and infrared (IR) laser self-healing properties at ambient conditions and is therefore suitable for flexible substrate applications. The mechanical strength can be tuned by varying the amount of FGNS and breaking strength can reach as high as 36 MPa with only 0.5 wt % FGNS loading. On rupture, the initial mechanical properties are restored with more than 96% healing efficiency after 1 min irradiation time by 980 nm IR laser. Especially, this is the highest value of healing efficiency reported in the self-healable materials based on DA chemistry systems until now, and the composite exhibits a high volume resistivity up to 5.6 × 10¹¹ Ω·cm even the loading of FGNS increased to 1.0 wt %. Moreover, the conductivity of the broken electric circuit which was fabricated by silver paste drop-cast on the healable composite substrate was completely recovered via IR laser irradiating bottom substrate mimicking human skin. These results demonstrate that the FGNS-PU-DA nanocomposite can be used as self-healing flexible substrate for the next generation of intelligent flexible electronics.

New insights and perspectives into biological materials for flexible electronics

Materials based on biological materials are becoming increasingly competitive and are likely to be critical components in flexible electronic devices.

High-Performance Flexible Thermoelectric Power Generator Using Laser Multiscanning Lift-Off Process

Flexible thermoelectric generators (f-TEGs) are emerging as a semipermanent power source for self-powered sensors, which is an important area of research for next-generation smart network monitoring systems in the Internet-of-things era. We report in this paper a f-TEG produced by a screen-printing technique (SPT) and a laser multiscanning (LMS) lift-off process. A screen-printed TEG was fabricated on a SiO₂/a-Si/quartz substrate via the SPT process, and the LMS process completely separated the rigid quartz substrate from the original TEG by selective reaction of the XeCl excimer laser with the exfoliation layer (a-Si). Using these techniques, we fabricate a prototype f-TEG composed of an array of 72 TE couples that exhibits high flexibility at various bending radii, together with excellent output performance (4.78 mW/cm² and 20.8 mW/g at ΔT = 25 °C). There is no significant change in the device performance even under repeated bending of 8000 cycles.

Plasma-Induced Nonvolatile Resistive Switching with Extremely Low SET Voltage in TiOxFy with AgF Nanoparticles

Low power consumption is crucial for the application of resistive random access memory. In this work, we present the bipolar resistive switching in an Ag/TiO_xF_y/Ti/Pt stack with extremely low switch-on voltage of 0.07 V. Operating current as low as 10 nA was also obtained by conductive atomic force microscopy. The highly defective TiO_xF_y layer was fabricated by plasma treatment using helium, oxygen, and carbon tetrafluoride orderly. During the electroforming process, AgF nanoparticles were formed due to the diffusion of Ag⁺ which reacted with the adsorbed F^- in the TiO_xF_y layer. These nanoparticles are of great importance to resistive switching performance because they are believed to be conductive phases and become part of the conducting path when the sample is switched to a low-resistance state.

Physically Transient Memory on a Rapidly Dissoluble Paper for Security Application

We report the transient memory device by means of a water soluble SSG (solid sodium with glycerine) paper. This material has a hydroscopic property hence it can be soluble in water. In terms of physical security of memory devices, prompt abrogation of a memory device which stored a large number of data is crucial when it is stolen because all of things have identified information in the memory device. By utilizing the SSG paper as a substrate, we fabricated a disposable resistive random access memory (RRAM) which has good data retention of longer than 106 seconds and cycling endurance of 300 cycles. This memory device is dissolved within 10 seconds thus it can never be recovered or replicated. By employing direct printing but not lithography technology to aim low cost and disposable applications, the memory capacity tends to be limited less than kilo-bits. However, unlike high memory capacity demand for consumer electronics, the proposed device is targeting for security applications. With this regards, the sub-kilobit memory capacity should find the applications such as one-time usable personal identification, authentication code storage, cryptography key, and smart delivery tag. This aspect is attractive for security and protection system against unauthorized accessibility.

Highly-Ordered 3D Vertical Resistive Switching Memory Arrays with Ultralow Power Consumption and Ultrahigh Density

Resistive switching random access memories (RRAM) have attracted great scientific and industrial attention for next generation data storage because of their advantages of nonvolatile properties, high density, low power consumption, fast writing/erasing speed, good endurance, and simple and small operation system. Here, by using a template-assisted technique, we demonstrate a three-dimensional highly ordered vertical RRAM device array with density as high as that of the nanopores of the template (10(8)-10(9) cm(-2)), which can also be fabricated in large area. The high crystallinity of the materials, the large contact area and the intimate semiconductor/electrode interface (3 nm interfacial layer) make the ultralow voltage operation (millivolt magnitude) and ultralow power consumption (picowatt) possible. Our procedure for fabrication of the nanodevice arrays in large area can be used for producing many other different materials and such three-dimensional electronic device arrays with the capability to adjust the device densities can be extended to other applications of the next generation nanodevice technology.

A flexible organic resistance memory device for wearable biomedical applications

Parylene is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved material which can be safely used within the human body and it is also offers chemically inert and flexible merits. Here, we present a flexible parylene-based organic resistive random access memory (RRAM) device suitable for wearable biomedical application. The proposed device is fabricated through standard lithography and pattern processes at room temperature, exhibiting the feasibility of integration with CMOS circuits. This organic RRAM device offers a high storage window (>10(4)), superior retention ability and immunity to disturbing. In addition, brilliant mechanical and electrical stabilities of this device are demonstrated when under harsh bending (bending cycle >500, bending radius <10 mm). Finally, the underlying mechanism for resistance switching of this kind of device is discussed, and metallic conducting filament formation and annihilation related to oxidization/redox of Al and Al anions migrating in the parylene layer can be attributed to resistance switching in this device. These advantages reveal the significant potential of parylene-based flexible RRAM devices for wearable biomedical applications.

Ultra-Lightweight Resistive Switching Memory Devices Based on Silk Fibroin

Ultra-lightweight resistive switching memory based on protein has been demonstrated. The memory foil is 0.4 mg cm(-2) , which is 320-fold lighter than silicon substrate, 20-fold lighter than office paper and can be sustained by a human hair. Additionally, high resistance OFF/ON ratio of 10(5) , retention time of 10(4) s, and excellent flexibility (bending radius of 800 μm) have been achieved.

Flexible Nonvolatile Polymer Memory Array on Plastic Substrate via Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Resistive random access memory based on polymer thin films has been developed as a promising flexible nonvolatile memory for flexible electronic systems. Memory plays an important role in all modern electronic systems for data storage, processing, and communication; thus, the development of flexible memory is essential for the realization of flexible electronics. However, the existing solution-processed, polymer-based RRAMs have exhibited serious drawbacks in terms of the uniformity, electrical stability, and long-term stability of the polymer thin films. Here, we present poly(1,3,5-trimethyl-1,3,5-trivinyl cyclotrisiloxane) (pV3D3)-based RRAM arrays fabricated via the solvent-free technique called initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process for flexible memory application. Because of the outstanding chemical stability of pV3D3 films, the pV3D3-RRAM arrays can be fabricated by a conventional photolithography process. The pV3D3-RRAM on flexible substrates showed unipolar resistive switching memory with an on/off ratio of over 10(7), stable retention time for 10(5) s, excellent cycling endurance over 10(5) cycles, and robust immunity to mechanical stress. In addition, pV3D3-RRAMs showed good uniformity in terms of device-to-device distribution. The pV3D3-RRAM will pave the way for development of next-generation flexible nonvolatile memory devices.

Skin-Inspired Haptic Memory Arrays with an Electrically Reconfigurable Architecture

Skin-inspired haptic-memory devices, which can retain pressure information after the removel of external pressure by virtue of the nonvolatile nature of the memory devices, are achieved. The rise of haptic-memory devices will allow for mimicry of human sensory memory, opening new avenues for the design of next-generation high-performance sensing devices and systems.

Stretchable piezoelectric nanocomposite generator

Piezoelectric energy conversion that generate electric energy from ambient mechanical and vibrational movements is promising energy harvesting technology because it can use more accessible energy resources than other renewable natural energy. In particular, flexible and stretchable piezoelectric energy harvesters which can harvest the tiny biomechanical motions inside human body into electricity properly facilitate not only the self-powered energy system for flexible and wearable electronics but also sensitive piezoelectric sensors for motion detectors and in vivo diagnosis kits. Since the piezoelectric ZnO nanowires (NWs)-based energy harvesters (nanogenerators) were proposed in 2006, many researchers have attempted the nanogenerator by using the various fabrication process such as nanowire growth, electrospinning, and transfer techniques with piezoelectric materials including polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) polymer and perovskite ceramics. In 2012, the composite-based nanogenerators were developed using simple, low-cost, and scalable methods to overcome the significant issues with previously-reported energy harvester, such as insufficient output performance and size limitation. This review paper provides a brief overview of flexible and stretchable piezoelectric nanocomposite generator for realizing the self-powered energy system with development history, power performance, and applications.

Resistive Switching Memory Devices Based on Proteins

Resistive switching memory constitutes a prospective candidate for next-generation data storage devices. Meanwhile, naturally occurring biomaterials are promising building blocks for a new generation of environmentally friendly, biocompatible, and biodegradable electronic devices. Recent progress in using proteins to construct resistive switching memory devices is highlighted. The protein materials selection, device engineering, and mechanism of such protein-based resistive switching memory are discussed in detail. Finally, the critical challenges associated with protein-based resistive switching memory devices are presented, as well as insights into the future development of resistive switching memory based on natural biomaterials.

Self-Structured Conductive Filament Nanoheater for Chalcogenide Phase Transition

Ge2Sb2Te5-based phase-change memories (PCMs), which undergo fast and reversible switching between amorphous and crystalline structural transformation, are being utilized for nonvolatile data storage. However, a critical obstacle is the high programming current of the PCM cell, resulting from the limited pattern size of the optical lithography-based heater. Here, we suggest a facile and scalable strategy of utilizing self-structured conductive filament (CF) nanoheaters for Joule heating of chalcogenide materials. This CF nanoheater can replace the lithographical-patterned conventional resistor-type heater. The sub-10 nm contact area between the CF and the phase-change material achieves significant reduction of the reset current. In particular, the PCM cell with a single Ni filament nanoheater can be operated at an ultralow writing current of 20 μA. Finally, phase-transition behaviors through filament-type nanoheaters were directly observed by using transmission electron microscopy.

Forming-free and self-rectifying resistive switching of the simple Pt/TaOx/n-Si structure for access device-free high-density memory application

The search for self-rectifying resistive memories has aroused great attention due to their potential in high-density memory applications without additional access devices. Here we report the forming-free and self-rectifying bipolar resistive switching behavior of a simple Pt/TaOx/n-Si tri-layer structure. The forming-free phenomenon is attributed to the generation of a large amount of oxygen vacancies, in a TaOx region that is in close proximity to the TaOx/n-Si interface, via out-diffusion of oxygen ions from TaOx to n-Si. A maximum rectification ratio of ∼6 × 10(2) is obtained when the Pt/TaOx/n-Si devices stay in a low resistance state, which originates from the existence of a Schottky barrier between the formed oxygen vacancy filament and the n-Si electrode. More importantly, numerical simulation reveals that the self-rectifying behavior itself can guarantee a maximum crossbar size of 212 × 212 (∼44 kbit) on the premise of 10% read margin. Moreover, satisfactory switching uniformity and retention performance are observed based on this simple tri-layer structure. All of these results demonstrate the great potential of this simple Pt/TaOx/n-Si tri-layer structure for access device-free high-density memory applications.