Nonvolatile memory devices based on self-assembled nanocrystals

•Recent advanced nonvolatile memory device technology is introduced.•Nonvolatile memory devices based on the self-assembled nanocrystals are reviewed.•Future nonvolatile memory device technology is discussed.

Nonvolatile memory devices are one of the most important components in modern electronic devices. Many efforts have been made to fabricate high-density, low-cost, nonvolatile solid-state memory devices for use in portable/mobile electronic devices such as laptop computers, tablet devices, smart phones, etc. Among the many available nonvolatile memory devices, flash memory devices are of great interest to the electronics industry owing to their simple device structure, enabling high-density memory applications. Flash memory devices in which nanoparticles or nanocrystals are used as the charge-trapping elements have advantages over conventional flash memory devices because the charge-trapping layer and memory performance of the former can be readily optimized. Active research has recently been conducted to fabricate and characterize self-assembled-nanocrystal-based nonvolatile memory devices. We reviewed various strategies for fabricating nanocrystal-based nonvolatile memory devices and discussed the programmable memory properties and the device reliability characteristics of nanocrystal-based memory devices to possibly apply nanocrystal-based memory devices to those used in portable/mobile electronic devices. Finally, novel device applications such as printed/flexible/transparent electronic devices were explored based on nanocrystal-based memory devices.