Synthesis of polyimides containing triphenylamine‐substituted triazole moieties for polymer memory applications

Abstract

AbstractA series of thermally stable aromatic polyimides containing triphenylamine‐substituted triazole moieties (AZTA‐PI)s were prepared and characterized. The glass transition temperatures (Tg) of the polyimides were found to be in the range of 262–314 °C. The polyimides obtained by chemical imidization had inherent viscosities of 0.25–0.44 dL g−1 in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone. The number average molecular weights (Mn) and weight average molecular weights (Mw) were 1.9–3.2 × 104 and 3.2–5.6 × 104, respectively, and the polydispersity indices (PDI = Mw/Mn) were in the range of 1.70–1.78. A resistive switching device was constructed from the 4,4′‐hexafluoroisopropylidenediphthalic dianhydride‐based soluble polyimide (AZTA‐PIa) in a sandwich structure of indium‐tin oxide/polymer/Al. The as‐fabricated device can be switched from the initial low‐conductivity (OFF) state to the high‐conductivity (ON) state at a switching threshold voltage of 2.5 V under either positive or negative electrical sweep, with an ON/OFF state current ratio in the order of 105 at −1 V. The device is able to remain in the ON state even after turning off the power or under a reverse bias. The nonvolatile and nonrewritable natures of the ON state indicate that the device is a write‐once read‐many times (WORM) memory. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010