Flexible polymer atomic switches using ink-jet printing technique

Gapless-type atomic switches were fabricated on a flexible plastic substrate by printing 'solid polymer electrolyte' (SPE) layers using suitable ink and drop-on-demand ink-jet technique. High surface energy difference between Pt microelectrode patterned on the plastic substrate and the substrate itself, led to the successful printing of electrolytic solution on a bottom Pt electrodes. Bipolar resistive switching behavior was observed in Ag/SPE/Pt cross-point structures under electrical bias. The switching between ON and OFF states is attributed to the formation and dissolution of a metal filament between the electrodes. The cells also exhibited stable switching behavior under mechanical stress as performed by substrate bending. Switching characteristics measured under mechanical stress and without stress are matching well. The results demonstrate that the SPE-printed atomic switch has great potential for flexible switch/memory applications.