TY - JOUR
T1 - Electric-field-driven dual-functional molecular switches in tunnel junctions
AU - Han, Yingmei
AU - Nickle, Cameron
AU - Zhang, Ziyu
AU - Astier, Hippolyte P. A. G.
AU - Duffin, Thorin J.
AU - Qi, Dongchen
AU - Wang, Zhe
AU - del Barco, Enrique
AU - Thompson, Damien
AU - Nijhuis, Christian A.
PY - 2020/8/1
Y1 - 2020/8/1
N2 - To avoid crosstalk and suppress leakage currents in resistive random access memories (RRAMs), a resistive switch and a current rectifier (diode) are usually combined in series in a one diode–one resistor (1D–1R) RRAM. However, this complicates the design of next-generation RRAM, increases the footprint of devices and increases the operating voltage as the potential drops over two consecutive junctions1. Here, we report a molecular tunnel junction based on molecules that provide an unprecedented dual functionality of diode and variable resistor, resulting in a molecular-scale 1D–1R RRAM with a current rectification ratio of 2.5 × 104 and resistive on/off ratio of 6.7 × 103, and a low drive voltage of 0.89 V. The switching relies on dimerization of redox units, resulting in hybridization of molecular orbitals accompanied by directional ion migration. This electric-field-driven molecular switch operating in the tunnelling regime enables a class of molecular devices where multiple electronic functions are preprogrammed inside a single molecular layer with a thickness of only 2 nm.
AB - To avoid crosstalk and suppress leakage currents in resistive random access memories (RRAMs), a resistive switch and a current rectifier (diode) are usually combined in series in a one diode–one resistor (1D–1R) RRAM. However, this complicates the design of next-generation RRAM, increases the footprint of devices and increases the operating voltage as the potential drops over two consecutive junctions1. Here, we report a molecular tunnel junction based on molecules that provide an unprecedented dual functionality of diode and variable resistor, resulting in a molecular-scale 1D–1R RRAM with a current rectification ratio of 2.5 × 104 and resistive on/off ratio of 6.7 × 103, and a low drive voltage of 0.89 V. The switching relies on dimerization of redox units, resulting in hybridization of molecular orbitals accompanied by directional ion migration. This electric-field-driven molecular switch operating in the tunnelling regime enables a class of molecular devices where multiple electronic functions are preprogrammed inside a single molecular layer with a thickness of only 2 nm.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85085879057&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41563-020-0697-5
DO - 10.1038/s41563-020-0697-5
M3 - Article
SN - 1476-1122
VL - 19
SP - 843
EP - 848
JO - Nature materials
JF - Nature materials
IS - 8
ER -