Versatile Sol–Gel and Inkjet Printing Route for Low-Cost Fabrication of Mesoporous SiO₂-Based Conductive Bridge Memristors

The growing demand for cost-effective nonvolatile memory has driven research into emerging resistive random-access memory (ReRAM) technologies, including conductive bridge random-access memories (CBRAMs). In this work, we investigate the electrical performance of CBRAMs based on mesoporous sol-gel SiO₂ electrolytes, fabricated using a cost-effective process combining sol-gel deposition, evaporation-induced self-assembly, and inkjet printing. By varying key fabrication parameters, namely, porosity and electrolyte thickness, we analyze their impact on switching behavior, retention, and endurance. Our findings reveal that mesoporous SiO₂ significantly enhances CBRAM performance, offering well-controlled ionic pathways for filament formation and dissolution while keeping the deposition process flexible in terms of deposition parameters. Among the tested configurations, the memory cells based on a moderately porous (20%) and thick (280 nm) SiO₂ layer demonstrate the best stability, with minimal SET/RESET voltage variability, strong retention over 28 h, and reliable endurance over 1000 cycles. In contrast, highly porous electrolyte layers lead to greater variability in resistive states due to unstable filament dissolution. These results highlight the potential of mesoporous SiO₂-based CBRAMs for next-generation memory applications, particularly in flexible electronics and neuromorphic computing. The study provides key insights into optimizing memory design through electrolyte engineering and scalable, low-cost manufacturing processes.