Photo-Electrosensitive Memristor Using Oxygen Doping in HgTe Nanocrystal Films

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2018 Jun 6;10(22):18927-18934. doi: 10.1021/acsami.8b05429. Epub 2018 May 21.

Abstract

Nanocrystal-based electronic devices with multiple functionalities offer one avenue toward novel passive and active electronic components. Here, we exhibit a planar and fully air-processed thin film device that demonstrates a photoinduced memristive behavior and can be used as a transistor, photodetector, or memory device. Following long-term (60 h) air exposure, unpackaged nanocrystal films develop reliable memristive characteristics in tandem with temperature, gate, and photoresponse. The on/off values of more than 50 are achieved, and the devices show long-term stability, producing repeatable metrics over days of measurement. The on/off behavior is shown to be dependent on the previous charge flow and carrier density, implying a memristive rather than switching behavior. These observations are described within a long-term trap-filling model. This work represents an advance in the integration of nanocrystal films into electronic devices, which may lead to the development of multifunctional electronic components.

Keywords: HgTe tetrapods; gated materials; memristance; nanocrystals; photoswitching.