The objective of this research is to investigate a novel nanocomposite material consisting of C60 molecules dispersed in an insulating polymer (polyvinyl phenol or polystyrene) for memory devices. The ease of fabrication and molecular nature (the C60 molecules store the charge) of the devices combine the advantages of organic and molecular electronics. The approach is to thoroughly investigate the fundamental properties of C60/insulating polymer nanocomposites as organic memory materials. In addition, our research will provide insights into the deposition of metal nanowires onto polymer thin films using nanotransfer printing (nTP). Furthermore, information regarding power dissipation by the metal nanowires and impedance in crosspoint architecture organic memory devices will also be obtained. We anticipate that such fundamental knowledge will be essential for the future development of realistic organic memory devices from C60/polymer nanocomposites.
The broader impacts The broader inpacts of the proposed project arise from the development of a fast switching, low power consuming and non-volatile memory which would encourage more standby operations, save energy and extend battery life. The organic memories would also provide instant boot up and faster processing. Complementing the technical plan is the PIs commitment to bringing science and engineering to underrepresented minority students and women. The educational goal of this Career Development Plan has three important objectives: research experience for teachers (RET), NSF summer research experience for undergraduates (REU) program and to develop an Organic Electronics course with a Laboratory module for engineering students.
