Photo-triggered Destructible Ultra-thin Flexible Resistive Random Access Memory

Abstract

Flexible memories for the Internet of things (IoT) have attracted great attention due to its wide applicability to various items such as healthcare electronic patches. However, they are prone to be hacked by unauthorized access when it is lost, although they store important personal identification data. Therefore, memory devices should be able to be physically destructed on demand by certain triggers while having large data storage. Here, I propose a photo-triggered destructible flexible resistive memory of which fabrication process is suitable to the conventional one so that it can be fabricated on a high density transistor array. Poly ethylene oxide film containing photo acid generator molecules was coated on the resistive memory. The top electrode and the resistance switching layer of the memory are made of Mg and Mn doped ZnO (3 wt%), respectively, which dissolve under acidic conditions. This intrinsic nature of Mg and ZnO:Mn and ultrathin thickness of the ZnO:Mn layer helped complete erase of the stored data in the memory device when ultraviolet light is illuminated on it. This system enables a novel technology of IoT with information security and large data storage.