ReWORM Memory Effect in PET-Metal Fiber-Based Electroconductive Yarn

Abstract

Write-once-read-many (WORM) memory effect is reported in the 19.68 Tex, 80:20 ratio polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-metal fiber spun electroconductive yarn. The yarn sample displayed a typical WORM memory behavior having electrical bistability with an OFF/ ON resistance ratio up to <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{{9}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and a long retention period. As the polyester fibers transform from amorphous (resistive state) to semicrystalline (conductive state) upon the application of bias voltage, the charge conduction changes from electronic to ionic, above the glass transition temperature. Furthermore, <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${I}-{V}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> curves were fit to explain the charge carrier transport mechanisms in the WORM behavior. Additionally, upon intentional mechanical perturbation, the sample could reset to its native high-resistive state (the phenomenon is termed as Reset WORM or ReWORM), ready for another WORM storage cycle.