Printable Monolayer of Binary Polymer-Co-Grafted Au Nanoparticles for Nano-Floating-Gate Transistor Memory

Abstract Nano-floating-gate organic field-effect transistor (NFGOFET) memories are promising candidates for flexible, low-cost, and solution-processable nonvolatile memory devices. Their performance relies critically on the construction of a uniform nano-floating-gate/tunneling-dielectric (NFG/TD) layer, in which discrete nanoparticles serve as charge-storage sites and the surrounding polymer matrix functions as the tunneling dielectric. However, the solution processing of the upper organic semiconductor layer often causes solvent-induced erosion of polymer tunneling layers, disrupting the nanoparticle distribution and degrading charge transport and storage. Here, we report a solvent-resistant NFG/TD layer based on binary polymer-co-modified gold nanoparticles and in situ SiO2 interfacial engineering. Gold nanoparticles co-grafted with polystyrene and poly(4-vinylpyridine) form a printable monolayer in which polystyrene serves as the tunneling dielectric and poly(4-vinylpyridine) provides anchoring sites for TEOS hydrolysis. The SiO2 layer preserves the nanoparticle monolayer during active-layer printing and provides a stable inorganic tunneling barrier and a modifiable interface for improving semiconductor crystallization. This work establishes a general and scalable interfacial regulation strategy for the solution-process of printable multi-layered organic thin-film devices.