Interfacial Conductive Pathway Enabled Self-Rectifying Ferroelectric Memristor for Neuromorphic Applications

Integrating nonvolatile resistive switching (RS) and rectification in a single two-terminal device is critical for suppressing sneak currents in high-density crossbar arrays, yet achieving this dual functionality at low operating voltages (<3 V) remains challenging. Here, we fabricate a self-rectifying memristor by blending the ferroelectric polymer P(VDF-TrFE) with the small-molecule semiconductor C8-BTBT. The high crystallinity and carrier mobility of C8-BTBT enable efficient charge injection, realizing a low SET voltage (<2 V) and high ON/OFF ratio (>105). Conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) directly visualizes interfacial conductive pathways localized at C8-BTBT/P(VDF-TrFE) heterojunctions, confirming an interface-dominated RS mechanism governed by ferroelectric polarization-modulated Schottky barriers. Furthermore, self-rectifying memristors have emulated key biological synaptic functions, such as paired-pulse facilitation, spiking rate dependent plasticity, spike number dependent plasticity, and spike timing dependent plasticity. Consequently, this work provides a material-level strategy for energy-efficient neuromorphic hardware.