Memristor device based on carbon nanotubes decorated with gold nanoislands

Memristors are passive nanoelectronics devices with applications in memories and switches which, although not containing magnetic components, have as distinct signature a hysteresis loop in the current-voltage dependence. Even if the prototype material for memristors is a binary oxide, we demonstrate that such devices can be easily implemented using carbon nanotubes decorated with metallic nanoislands, where the hysteretic action is a result of the thermionic emission of electrons trapped in the gold nanoislands. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3633352]