Hybrid silicon–organic nanoparticle memory device

Abstract
We demonstrate a nonvolatile electrically erasable programmable read-only memory device using goldnanoparticles as charge storage elements deposited at room temperature by chemical processing. The nanoparticles are deposited over a thermal silicon dioxide layer that insulates them from the device silicon channel. An organic insulatordeposited by the Langmuir–Blodget technique at room temperature separates the aluminum gate electrode from the nanoparticles. The device exhibits significant threshold voltage shifts after application of low-voltage pulses (⩽±6 V ) to the gate and has nonvolatile retention time characteristics.