Nonvolatile memory based on sol-gel ZnO thin-film transistors with Ag nanoparticles embedded in the ZnO/gate insulator interface

Abstract

A nonvolatile memory is demonstrated using a solution-processed sol-gel ZnO thin-film transistor (TFT) in which Ag nanoparticles are embedded as charge storage nodes at the insulator-ZnO interface. Its TFT transfer characteristics exhibit a large clockwise hysteresis that is proportional to the gate bias sweep range. Measurement of the threshold voltage shift versus the pulse width of gate bias reveals that the device can be programed or erased at a time scale of as short as 10(-4) s. Retention of the initial memory window is measured to be 27% after 10(5) s and projected to last until 10(7) s.