WORM and bipolar inkjet printed resistive switching devices based on silver nanocomposites

In the present study, Silver Nanocomposite Resistive Switching Devices were fabricated by ink-jet printing specifically designed inks onto planar symmetrical electrodes. The printed devices show different memory/switching behaviours according to printed patterns and number of ejected drops (in turn according to the total ejected ink volume). A drop on position print results in a random access type memory with a rectifying ratio of 103. The effect of compliance upon switching was studied. It was observed that an increase in the compliance current changed the switching behaviour of the device to bipolar and non-volatile with an On/Off ratio of 104. A print on the fly method results in a write-once-read-many (WORM) device instead, where once reached a low resistance state (LRS), the device was unable to recover its initial high resistance state (HRS). The present study gives an insight into the field-induced formation of conductive silver filaments, resulting in resistance switching. The active switching matrix ink formulation enables an easy deposition onto various substrates thus widening printed electronics potentialities.