Bistable electronic switching in poly(arylenephthalides)

Experimental and theoretical data show that the phenomenon of bistable switching in thin films of poly(arylenephthalides) (PAPs), which was reported previously, has an electronic nature and is related to the unique properties of PAP molecules. This phenomenon has been studied in metal-PAP-metal and ITO-PAP-ITO structures (ITO = indium tin oxide) with various thicknesses of the polymer film. First results are reported that demonstrate the principal possibility of using thin PAP films as a basis for resistive nonvolatile electronic memory cells. These data show that the bistable switching is related primarily to the electronic properties of the polymer film and is not influenced by the oxidation of electrodes and/or the growth of metal filaments from the electrodes.