High-performance multilevel nonvolatile organic field-effect transistor memory based on multilayer organic semiconductor heterostructures

Nonvolatile organic field-effect transistor (OFET) memory devices have great potential for next-generation memory due to their advantages of low cost, light weight, mechanical flexibility and easy processing. However, addressing the issue of limited data storage capacity remains a critical challenge. In this study, we propose a multilevel nonvolatile OFET memory device featuring five-layer organic semiconductor heterostructures composed of pentacene and N,N '-ditridecylperylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarb-oxylic diimide (P13). The innovative semiconductor heterostructures exhibit quantum well-like characteristics, and efficiently function as charge trapping sites. These characteristics synergize with the charge trapping properties of the polystyrene (PS) layer, resulting in a significant enhancement of the device's charge storage capacity. The organic semiconductor heterostructure-based memory device demonstrates exceptional nonvolatile memory properties, including a large charge storage capacity (5.48 x 1012 cm-2), a high mobility (2.06 cm2 V-1 s-1), a high ON/OFF current ratio (105), and a long data retention (over 104 s). Moreover, a four-level data storage was achieved owing to the device's high charge capacity properties, significantly augmenting memory capacity. This research presents a promising methodology for the realization of high-performance organic memory for future technology. A multilevel organic field-effect transistor memory based on organic heterostructures is demonstrated. Benefiting from the charge trapping of the quantum well-like heterostructures, the memory exhibited multilevel nonvolatile memory properties.