CHAPTER 4: High Performance Polyimides for Resistive Switching Memory Devices

Polymeric materials for memory device applications have attracted a large amount of interest due to their numerous advantages, such as low cost, high mechanical strength, solution processability, and the ability to develop three-dimensional stacking devices. Considering the heat resistance during the device fabrication process and operation, polyimides are one of the most attractive polymers for memory applications due to their high thermal/dimensional stability and mechanical strength. Recently, a large amount of research has reported that most memory properties from volatile to non-volatile can be produced by optimizing the chemical structure of the polyimides. In this chapter, we summarize the most widely used mechanisms in polyimide resistive memory devices, charge transfer, space charge traps, and filamentary conduction. In addition, recent studies of functional polyimides for memory device applications are reviewed, compared and differentiated based on the mechanisms and structural design methods.