CHAPTER 11: Organic Ferroelectric Memory Devices

Ferroelectrics are polar substances of either solid (crystalline or polymeric) or liquid crystals, in which inverting the external electric field can reverse the spontaneously generated electric polarization. The bistable hysteresis of ferroelectric materials offers the possibility to develop electrically switchable data storage devices. Organic non-volatile memory devices based on ferroelectricity are a promising approach towards the development of low-cost memory technology. In addition, ferroelectric memory devices generally possess the advantages of long data or operating endurance, short switching time, and low-voltage operation. In this chapter, we discuss the latest developments of ferroelectric data storage memory devices based on three main device configurations, including capacitors, field-effect transistors, and diodes. Key materials and process issues for optimizing memory performance in each device architecture and thus realizing organic ferroelectric memory are discussed. The effects of the polymer orientation, interfacial engineering, device structure, and processing parameters on the memory switching characteristics are explored systematically.