Switching behavior of plasma polymer films containing silver nanoparticles

A reversible electronic switching effect has been observed in plasma polymer films with embedded silver nanoparticles. The electrical and nanostructural properties of the films have been investigated, and three different structure types were observed: metallic, percolation, and dielectric. While for the metallic and dielectric types, respectively, metallic conduction and thermally activated tunneling can be identified as the dominant electronic conduction mechanisms, switching appears only in percolation structures. These drastic, abrupt changes of up to six orders of magnitude in the current-voltage behavior are highly reversible for these nanocomposite materials, and are defined as threshold switching. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.