Flexible resistive switching memory using inkjet printing of a solid polymer electrolyte

Resistive switching memory cells were fabricated on a plastic substrate via inkjet printing (IJP) of a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE). Using the high contrast between the surface energy of a metal electrode and the substrate, a thin SPE film could be deposited over the electrode by IJP. The fabricated Ag/SPE/Pt cells showed bipolar resistive switching behavior under electrical bias in vacuum and in air, which is attributed to the formation and dissolution of a metal filament between the electrodes. From the standpoint of the switching mechanism, our cell can be referred to as a ‘gapless-type atomic switch’. The cells also exhibited stable switching behavior under substrate bending. This device fabrication technique has great potential for flexible switch/memory applications.