A system for producing storage devices based on natural plant materials

Abstract

A system for the production of storage devices based on natural plant materials, consisting of: a) a material preparation unit configured to: Extract and process plant material from Nymphaea nouchali (water lily), prepare Laponite clay mineral dispersion and combine water lily ethanolic extract and Laponite dispersion in a given volume ratio; b) a device manufacturing unit comprising a deposition unit configured to: The processed active materials are applied by spin coating to glass substrates coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) and Deposition of gold electrodes (Au) on the active layers by shadow masking; c) a characterization unit comprising a plurality of devices configured to perform characterization of the prepared, processed films of active material, the characterization unit comprising: a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) and an FTIR spectrophotometer; and d) an electrical measurement unit comprising a source meter and a test station and configured to measure the electrical characteristics of the manufactured storage devices.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system for manufacturing memory devices based on natural plant materials. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for developing plant extract-based WORM memory devices and RRAM memory devices based on the synthetic clay mineral laponite for sustainable data storage and neuromorphic computing applications. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Electronic devices are predominantly based on silicon-based components, which generate significant amounts of non-degradable electronic waste (e-waste). Natural, plant-based materials offer a sustainable alternative for resistive switching (RS) memory devices due to their biodegradability, non-toxicity, and availability. Previous research has demonstrated resistive switching capabilities in various plant materials such as aloe vera, garlic, and maple leaves.

[0003] Water lily extract (WL) contains phenol and carboxyl groups that create oxygen defects that are beneficial for switching mechanisms in memory devices.

[0004] From the previous discussion, it is clear that there is a need for an invention focused on WL-based resistive memory devices with write-once-read-many (WORM) behavior. When combined with Laponite clay, the devices also exhibit the properties of resistive random access memory (RRAM). The synthetic clay material Laponite offers enhanced functionality thanks to its unique structure with negative surface charges and positive edge charges that act as charge-trapping centers. These biocompatible memory devices address two critical challenges: reducing electronic waste and overcoming the von Neumann bottleneck in computer architectures through neuromorphic computing capabilities. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present disclosure relates to a system for manufacturing memory devices based on natural plant materials. The proposed system is configured to process the collected raw material of the Nymphaea nouchali (water lily) plant (WL), wherein the system is configured to obtain an ethanolic extract of the collected plant material and then a supernatant portion of the filtrate of the obtained ethanolic extract for device manufacturing. The system is further configured to prepare a laponite dispersion using the laponite clay mineral, wherein the dispersion is prepared by stirring an aqueous clay mixture with a magnetic stirrer. The WL and WL + laponite solution is prepared by mixing the prepared solutions in a volume ratio of 1:3.The system is further configured to fabricate resistive memory devices using WL and WL + Laponite as active materials and in the Au / WL / ITO or Au / WL + Laponite / ITO configurations, respectively, fabricated on ITO-coated glass substrates with gold (Au) as the top electrode and ITO as the bottom electrode. The prepared device is subjected to electrical measurement to evaluate its performance and effectiveness as a memory device.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a system for manufacturing memory devices based on natural plant materials. The system comprises: a material preparation unit configured to extract and process plant material from Nymphaea nouchali (water lily), prepare a dispersion of the laponite clay mineral, and combine water lily extract and laponite dispersion in a predetermined volume ratio. The system further comprises a device manufacturing unit having a deposition unit configured to spin-coat the processed active materials onto indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates and to shadow-mask gold (Au) electrodes onto the active layers.The system also includes a characterization unit with multiple instruments configured to characterize the prepared, processed active material films. The characterization unit includes a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), and an FTIR spectrophotometer. The system also includes an electrical measurement unit with a source meter and a probe station configured to measure the electrical properties of the fabricated storage devices.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for manufacturing memory devices based on natural plant materials.

[0008] Another object of the present disclosure is to utilize the locally available plant Nymphaea nouchali for the production of WORM and RRAM based on plant extracts.

[0009] Another object of the present disclosure is to fabricate the memory device using the Au / WL / ITO and Au / WL+Laponite / ITO configuration.

[0010] Another object of the present disclosure is to characterize the WL and WL+Laponite based films and to perform electrical measurements on the prepared memory devices, wherein measurements of the electrical properties are performed using a source meter and a test station.

[0011] To further clarify the advantages and features of the present disclosure, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered as limiting its scope. The invention will be described and explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0012] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters represent like parts throughout. Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of a system for manufacturing storage devices based on natural plant materials according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the elements in the drawings are shown for convenience and are not necessarily to scale. For example, the flowcharts illustrate the method by key steps to enhance understanding of aspects of the present disclosure. Furthermore, with respect to device construction, one or more components of the device may be represented in the drawings by conventional symbols. The drawing may show only the specific details relevant to understanding embodiments of the present disclosure in order not to clutter the drawing with details that would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the present description. DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

[0014] To facilitate understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and a clear description will be given. However, the scope of the invention is not limited thereby. Changes and further modifications to the illustrated system, as well as further applications of the principles of the invention, are possible, as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

[0015] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the invention and are not intended to be limiting thereof.

[0016] References in this specification to "one aspect," "another aspect," or similar language mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, the language "in one embodiment," "in another embodiment," and similar language throughout this specification may or may not refer to the same embodiment.

[0017] The terms "comprises," "comprising," or other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method comprising a list of steps may include not only those steps, but also additional steps not expressly listed or inherent in that process or method. Likewise, the statement "comprises" for one or more devices, subsystems, elements, structures, or components does not exclude, without further limitation, the existence of other devices, subsystems, elements, structures, components, or additional devices, subsystems, elements, structures, or components.

[0018] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. The systems, methods, and examples provided herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting.

[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of a system for manufacturing storage devices based on natural plant materials according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Referring to Fig.1, the system (100) comprises: a material preparation unit (102) configured to: extract and process plant material from Nymphaea nouchali (water lily), prepare a dispersion of the laponite clay mineral, and combine water lily extract and laponite dispersion in a predetermined volume ratio. The system (100) further comprises: a device manufacturing unit (104) having a deposition unit (104a) configured to spin-coat the processed active materials onto indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates and to deposit gold (Au) electrodes onto the active layers by shadow masking.The system (100) further comprises: a characterization unit (106) having a plurality of devices for characterizing the fabricated processed active material films, the characterization unit (106) comprising: a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), and an FTIR spectrophotometer; and an electrical measurement unit (108) having a source meter and a probe station for measuring the electrical properties of the fabricated storage devices.

[0022] In one embodiment, the material preparation unit (102) further comprises a washing unit (102a) that washes the collected plant material with distilled water, a drying unit (102b) that dries the washed plant material to remove any external moisture, and a processing unit (102c) that grinds the plant material, prepares the ethanolic solution, and filters it. Extract and centrifuge the filtrate to obtain the supernatant for device manufacturing.

[0023] In one embodiment, the material preparation unit (102) further comprises a Laponite dispersion preparation unit (102d) configured to stir an aqueous clay mixture with a magnetic stirrer for at least 24 hours and to sonicate the mixture for about 30 minutes prior to use.

[0024] In one embodiment, the material preparation unit (102) further comprises a mixing unit (102e) configured to combine the water lily extract and the laponite dispersion in a volume ratio of 1:3 and stir the combined solution for a predetermined period of time.

[0025] In one embodiment, the device manufacturing unit (104) is configured to manufacture a resistive memory device using WL and WL+Laponite as active materials and having the configuration Au / WL / ITO or Au / WL+Laponite / ITO, respectively, fabricated on an ITO-coated glass substrate, with gold (Au) as the upper electrode and ITO as the lower electrode, wherein the deposition unit (104a) of the device manufacturing unit (104) is configured to deposit the active materials during spin coating for 60 seconds at a rotation speed of 1200 rpm.

[0026] In one embodiment, the device manufacturing unit (104) is configured such that the prepared devices are dried in vacuum for at least 24 hours after deposition of the active layer.

[0027] In one embodiment, the source meter of the electrical measurement unit (108) is configured to apply a step potential of 0.02 V during current-voltage measurements (IV), measure write-once-read-many (WORM) behavior in Au / WL / ITO devices, and measure resistive random access memory (RRAM) behavior in Au / WL+Laponite / ITO devices.

[0028] In one embodiment, the electrical measuring unit (108) is further configured to test neuromorphic properties by analyzing potentiation and depression properties as well as artificial synaptic plasticity by varying the pulse width, pulse amplitude and pulse interval.

[0029] In one embodiment, the electrical measurement unit (108) is further configured to determine: memory window, device yield percentage, read endurance, and data retention time of the manufactured memory devices.

[0030] In one embodiment, the electrical measurement unit (108) is further configured to analyze conduction mechanisms, including space charge limited conduction (SCLC), s-Chottky emission (SE), and the formation of conducting filaments. The locally available plant Nymphaea nouchali, also called water lily (WL), is used to obtain said plant extract.

[0031] The present invention relates to a system for the production of plant extract-based WORM and RRAM memory modules for sustainable data storage and neuromorphic computing applications. The system is configured for the production of WORM modules with the Au / WL / ITO configuration and RRAM modules with the Au / WL+Laponite / ITO configuration. The Laponite is a Laponite dispersion produced by stirring the aqueous clay mixture with a magnetic stirrer followed by ultrasonic treatment.

[0032] In one embodiment, fresh water lily petals are collected and then processed in a material preparation unit comprising a washing unit, a drying unit, and a processing unit. The collected petals are first washed with tap water, then with distilled water, and then dried to remove external moisture. The dried flowers are then ground. To isolate the active ingredient, a 12% ethanol extract is prepared from the ground water lily pieces. The ethanolic extract solution is then filtered with a Whatman filter to remove fibrous impurities. The filtrate is then centrifuged at 5000 rpm for 5 minutes. The supernatant is then used for device fabrication of the system.

[0033] The material preparation unit also includes a Laponite dispersion preparation unit. This unit is configured to stir the aqueous clay mixture with a magnetic stirrer for 24 hours and then treat it with ultrasonics for 30 minutes. A Laponite dispersion with a concentration of 2 ppm is produced. The mixing unit of the material preparation unit mixes the obtained water lily extract and the prepared Laponite dispersion in a volume ratio of 1:3 (200 µl / 600 µl). The resulting solution is then stirred for 20 minutes to obtain the final solution for device manufacturing.

[0034] The system is configured for the production of resistive memory devices with WL and WL+Laponite as the active materials. The devices are configured as Au / WL / ITO or Au / WL+Laponite / ITO and are fabricated on an ITO-coated glass substrate with a resistivity of 15-25 Ω / sq, with gold (Au) as the top electrode and ITO as the bottom electrode. The active material for both devices is applied to the ITO substrate by spin coating at 1200 rpm for 60 seconds. The prepared devices are then dried in a vacuum for 24 hours. The gold electrode is deposited on the active layers using a sputtering technique with a shadow mask.

[0035] The WL and WL+Laponite films are subjected to characterization. FESEM imaging is performed using a scanning electron microscope with an accelerating voltage of 5 kV to examine the surface morphology and cross-section of the films. Elemental analysis of the prepared films is performed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). FTIR spectra are recorded using an FTIR spectrophotometer to identify functional groups.

[0036] Scanning electron microscopy revealed that pure WL and WL combined with Laponite exhibit significantly different surface morphologies. Cross-sectional images of the corresponding Au / WL / ITO and Au / WL+Laponite / ITO devices confirmed the presence of clearly defined top and bottom electrodes and uniform active layers. The active layer thickness was approximately 200 nm for the pure WL device and over 2 µm for the Laponite device. This indicates successful layer formation, which is crucial for evaluating electrical performance.

[0037] Using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), the functional groups in the ethanolic WL extract were identified and the interactions between WL and Laponite were investigated. The WL extract showed characteristic peaks for hydroxyl (-OH), carbonyl (C=O), aliphatic (-CH2), ether (-COR), and methyl groups. Upon integration with Laponite, a significant reduction in the intensity and width of the -OH peak was observed, indicating a reduced availability of hydroxyl groups. This effect is attributed to a possible intercalation of -OH groups within the Laponite layers and a corresponding reduction in hydrogen bonds.

[0038] The prepared device is subjected to electrical measurements. Current measurements are performed for both devices using a source meter and a measuring station. The manufactured devices were dried in a vacuum for at least 10 hours before the current measurement. A step potential of 0.02 V was then applied during the current measurement.

[0039] The electrical measurements showed that the device with pure WL as the active layer (Au / WL / ITO) exhibited WORM (Write-Once-Read-Many) memory behavior. This was characterized by a memory window of approximately 10 2 , a device yield of approximately 55%, a read endurance of up to 8000 cycles, and a data retention capacity of approximately 500 seconds. However, the data retention performance of the pure WL-based device was relatively poor.

[0040] To improve device performance, synthetic Laponite clay was integrated into the WL matrix, forming the active layer of the Au / WL+Laponite / ITO device. This modified device exhibited improved memory properties, demonstrating both WORM and reliable bipolar resistive random access memory (RRAM) behavior depending on compliance current (CC) settings. The WL+Laponite-based device achieved a significantly higher memory window on the order of 10 4 , an increased device yield of 88%, an excellent service life of over 10 4 read operations and extended data retention of up to 104 seconds Based on the storage trend, the device is predicted to reliably retain stored data for at least 10 years.

[0041] In addition to memory applications, the WL+Laponite-based RRAM device was also investigated for its potential in neuromorphic computing. The device exhibited synaptic behavior and successfully mimicked preliminary synaptic learning mechanisms such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). Further studies demonstrated the possibility of modulating synaptic plasticity by adjusting pulse parameters such as width, amplitude, and interval. These results underscore the potential of biodegradable and environmentally friendly WL-based materials for the development of next-generation memory and neuromorphic devices.

[0042] The drawings and the foregoing description illustrate examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that one or more of the described elements may well be combined to form a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be separated into multiple functional elements. Elements of one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, the order of the processes described herein may be changed and is not limited to the manner described herein. Furthermore, the actions of a flowchart need not be performed in the order shown; nor do all actions need to be performed. Also, actions that are not dependent on other actions may be performed in parallel with the other actions. The scope of the embodiments is in no way limited by these specific examples.Numerous variations, whether explicitly stated in the specification or not, such as differences in structure, dimensions, and use of materials, are possible. The scope of the embodiments is at least as broad as indicated in the following claims.

[0043] Advantages, further benefits, and solutions to problems have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, the advantages, advantages, solutions to problems, and any components that may result in or enhance an advantage, advantage, or solution are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or components of any or all of the claims. REFERENCES 100 The system includes: A material preparation unit. 102 Material preparation unit 102a Washing unit 102b Drying unit 102c processing unit 102d Laponite dispersion processing unit 102e mixing unit 104 Equipment Manufacturing Unit 104a Separation unit 106 Characterization Unit 108 Electrical measuring unit

Claims

[1] A system for manufacturing storage devices based on natural plant materials, consisting of: a) a material preparation unit configured to: Extract and process plant material from Nymphaea nouchali (water lily), prepare Laponite clay mineral dispersion and combine water lily ethanolic extract and Laponite dispersion in a given volume ratio; b) a device manufacturing unit comprising a deposition unit configured to: The processed active materials are applied by spin coating to glass substrates coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) and Deposition of gold electrodes (Au) on the active layers by shadow masking; c) a characterization unit comprising a plurality of devices configured to perform characterization of the prepared, processed films of active material, the characterization unit comprising: a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX) and an FTIR spectrophotometer; and d) an electrical measurement unit comprising a source meter and a test station and configured to measure the electrical characteristics of the manufactured storage devices. [2] The system of claim 1, wherein the material preparation unit further comprises a washing unit configured to wash the collected plant material with distilled water, a drying unit configured to dry the washed plant material to remove any external moisture, and a processing unit configured to grind the plant material, prepare and filter the ethanolic extract, and centrifuge the filtrate to obtain a supernatant for device manufacturing. [3] The system of claim 1, wherein the material preparation unit further comprises a Laponite dispersion preparation unit configured to stir an aqueous clay mixture with a magnetic stirrer for at least 24 hours and to sonicate the mixture for about 30 minutes prior to use. [4] The system of claim 1, wherein the material preparation unit further comprises a mixing unit configured to combine the water lily extract and the laponite dispersion in a volume ratio of 1:3 and stir the combined solution for a predetermined period of time. [5] The system of claim 1, wherein the device manufacturing unit is configured to manufacture a resistive memory device using WL and WL+Laponite as active materials and having the configuration of Au / WL / ITO and Au / WL+Laponite / ITO, respectively, fabricated on an ITO-coated glass substrate, with gold (Au) as the upper electrode and ITO as the lower electrode, wherein the deposition unit of the device manufacturing unit is configured to deposit the active materials during spin coating for 60 seconds at a rotation speed of 1200 rpm. [6] The system of claim 1, wherein the device manufacturing unit is configured to dry the prepared devices in vacuum for at least 24 hours after deposition of the active layer. [7] The system of claim 1, wherein the source meter of the electrical measurement unit is configured to apply a step potential of 0.02 V during current-voltage measurements (IV), to measure write-once-read-many (WORM) behavior in Au / WL / ITO devices, and to measure resistive random access memory (RRAM) behavior in Au / WL+Laponite / ITO devices. [8] The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical measuring unit is further configured to test neuromorphic properties by analyzing potentiation and depression properties, and artificial synaptic plasticity by varying the pulse width, pulse amplitude, and pulse interval. [9] The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical measurement unit is further configured to determine: memory window, device yield percentage, read endurance, and data retention time of the manufactured memory devices. [10] The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical measurement unit is further configured to analyze conduction mechanisms, including space charge limited conduction (SCLC), s-Chottky emission (SE), and conductive filament formation.

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