Printed Memristors: an overview of ink, materials, deposition techniques and applications

Abstract

Industry 4.0 is accelerating the growth of connected devices, resulting in an exponential increase in generated data. The current semiconductor technology is facing challenges in miniaturization and power consumption, demanding for more efficient computation where new materials and devices need to be implemented. One of the most promising candidates for the next technological leap is the memristor. Due to their up-scale manufacturing, the majority of memristors employed conventional deposition techniques (physical and chemical vapor deposition), which can be highly costly. Recently, printed memristors have gained a lot of attention because of their potential for large-scale, fast, and affordable manufacturing. They can also help to reduce material waste, which supports the transition to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly economy. This review provides a perspective on the potential of printed electronics in the fabrication of memristive devices, presenting an overview of the main printing techniques, most suitable for memristors development. Additionally, it focuses on the materials used for the switching layer by comparing its performance. Ultimately, the application of printed memristors is highlighted by showing the tremendous evolution in this field, as well as the main challenges and opportunities that printed memristors are expected to face in the following years.