Volatile resistive switching in fully inkjet-printed PEDOT:PSS/cPVP/Ag memristors
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The development of printed electronics enables cost-effective and scalable fabrication of functional devices. Among the available techniques, inkjet printing stands out for its versatility and compatibility with flexible substrates, allowing the deposition of a wide range of functional materials. In this context, organic materials have emerged as promising candidates for memristive devices due to their chemically tunable properties and their ability to modulate resistive switching (RS) behavior. In this work, we investigate fully inkjet-printed asymmetric PEDOT:PSS/cross-linked poly(4-vinylphenol) (cPVP)/Ag memristor structures (Fig. 1). Commercial silver nanoparticle-based ink was used for the bottom electrode, while PEDOT:PSS acts as a conductive polymer top electrode, introducing an intrinsic asymmetry in the device. Electrical characterization was performed through current-voltage (I-V) measurements and pulse-driven operation, including pulsed cycling up to 2000 cycles. The devices show volatile resistive switching behavior, characterized by threshold switching during current-voltage (I-V) sweeps and a spontaneous relaxation from the low-resistance state (LRS) to the high-resistance state (HRS) under pulsed operation (Fig. 1). The volatile resistive switching can be explained by electrochemical metallization (ECM), driven by the formation and spontaneous dissolution of metallic conductive filaments [1]. Silver electrodes enable ion migration and filament growth, while ionic transport within the organic dielectric layer influences filament formation and stability [2]. In organic memristors, conductive filaments are formed under electrical stimulus and their stability strongly impacts the switching behavior [2]. This results in conductive paths that are only temporarily sustained under electrical stimulus, leading to threshold switching and transient conduction. Additionally, charge trapping/detrapping processes within the organic dielectric layer contribute to the dynamic response. Variability, reliability, and degradation were analyzed to gain deeper insight into the underlying switching mechanisms and their cyclical evolution under pulsed operation, considering the inherent stochastic nature of filamentary switching processes. These results provide insight into volatile switching in organic memristors, highlighting their potential for neuromorphic computing systems based on short-term dynamics.