Printed resistive switching memory operated by screen-printed microbattery via shared electrode

Abstract The combination of printed electronic devices has a pivotal role in establishing intelligent designs in fields such as smart labels for logistics or miniaturized health monitoring. Research to date has tended to focus on individually printed components rather than on their integration. The switching behaviour of inkjet-printed, resistively switching memory cells driven by a screen-printed Zn-MnO2 microbattery, is investigated. Both components have a shared screen-printed Ag electrode that is printed on a low-cost, flexible, and transparent polyethylenterephthalat (PET) substrate. The rough electrode is covered by inkjet printed Spin-on-Glass and contacted by a second Ag electrode after packaging. This resistive memory cell exhibits non-volatile switching behaviour comparable to cells fabricated with standard semiconductor thin film technology. The battery delivers a high gravimetric capacity of 130 mAh/g. The memory cells exhibt clear resistive switching behaviour with switching voltages of Vset =  − 0.15 V, Vreset = 0.1 V and a resistance ratio Roff/Ron ≈ 5 at a write current of Icc = 0.5 mA. We demonstrate the potential of printed electronics by the printed integration of a memory with mobile power supply by achieving a retention duration of the battery triggered ON state of more than 2.5 h.