Promising results are reported for memory devices and solar photovoltaic cells.

A program of research has addressed multiple topics in the field of electronic and optoelectronic devices based on polymers and other organic substances, with special attention to memory devices and solar photovoltaic cells. The accomplishments of this research are summarized as follows:

• Polymer/metal nanocomposite memory devices.

Applied Potential and Current Response of an experimental polymer/metal nanocomposite memory device were measured over several cycles of writing (W), erasure (E), and reading (R).

The figure presents measurement data from an experiment that demonstrated switching between the high- and low-conductance states, which could be taken to represent binary “1” and “0,” respectively. The device was written, read, and erased repeatedly: A potential of 5 V was applied to write “1”; that is, to switch the device to the high-conductance state. The state was read by applying a lower potential (1.1 V). The current during the reading of the “1” state was 10-7 A. The “1” state was erased by applying a potential of -2.3 V, which switched the device to the low-conductance “0” state. Upon application of the reading potential of 1.1 V, the device responded at a “0”-state current of the order of 10-9 A. These write-read-erase cycles demonstrate that the device could be used as a nonvolatile memory device. Other measurements, not illustrated in the figure, have been interpreted as signifying that reading and writing can be accomplished by pulses as short as 25 ns.