(Organic) Switching phenomenon in lateral structures: Tuning by gate voltage

We have fabricated devices based on copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) that exhibited electrical bistability and switching phenomenon. Apart from sandwiched structures, coplanar (lateral) electrodes or field-effect transistor structures have also been characterized. The observation of switching and memory phenomenon in lateral structures with Au/Au electrode combination primarily rules out (1) migration of metal ions into the organic materials, (2) metal filament formation through a redox-driven process, and (3) electroreduction of the molecules as possible mechanisms of electrical bistability in CuPc. The existence two conducting state and bistability have been explained in terms of trapping and detrapping of carriers in the molecular layer. Furthermore, the lateral structures show possibilities to tune switching processes through the bias of the base (gate) electrode.