Nonvolatile memory device based on Ag nanoparticle: Characteristics improvement

A single layer memory device based on silver nanoparticles has been fabricated. The device exhibits electrical bistability and nonvolatile memory phenomenon. The performance of the device improved (in terms of On/Off ratio, switching cycles, and retention time) when an additional polymer (PMMA) layer was deposited prior to nanoparticles deposition. The retention time and switching cycles of the device improved a lot and on/off current ratio of the device increased by more than three orders of magnitude. The ability to write, erase, read, and refresh the electrical states of the polymer-nanoparticle composite fulfills the functionality of a dynamic random access memory.