Emerging Nanoelectronic Devices

10Macromolecular Memory

Benjamin F. Bory and Stefan C.J. Meskers

Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

10.1 Chapter Overview

Macromolecular materials, such as polymers, can be used to make electronic memory cells. This chapter focuses on data storage based on resistive switching in diodes incorporating macromolecules. The organization of the chapter is as follows. We start with a brief introduction into the chemical structure and properties of macromolecules. We then sketch the phenomenology of electronic memory effects involving macromolecules and review the current state of the art in polymer memory technology. The subsequent sections are devoted to the electrical and semi-(conducting) properties of polymers and macromolecules and physical–chemical mechanisms of the electronic memory effects. Finally we classify different types of macromolecular memory based on the physical–chemical characteristics of the material involved.

10.2 Macromolecules

10.2.1 Chemical Structure

Macromolecules can be defined as large molecules built up of more than, say, 10² atoms. The class of macromolecules includes synthetic and biological polymers, polyelectrolytes and also encompasses frameworks such as carbon nanotubes and graphene. The backbone of these macromolecules often consists mainly of carbon atoms, sometimes silicon. Two carbon atoms in the chain can be linked via either a single, double or triple bond depending on the number of electron pairs that are shared between the ...