Nonvolatile memory characteristics of solution-processed oxide thin-film transistors using Ag nanoparticles

We developed a nonvolatile memory device based on a solution-processed oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) as the charge trapping layer. We fabricated the device using a soluble MgInZnO active channel on a SiO2 gate dielectric, Ag NPs as a charge trapping site at the gate insulator-channel interface, and Al for source and drain electrodes. The transfer characteristics of the device showed a high level of clockwise hysteresis that can be used to demonstrate its memory function, due to electron trapping in the Ag NPs charge trapping layer. A large memory window (Delta V-th) was observed with a forward and backward gate voltage sweep, and this memory window was increased in size by increasing the gate voltage sweep. These results show the potential application of memory on displays and disposable electronics. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.