Developing flexible BaTiO₃-based ceramic memristors through entropy engineering

Flexible memristors have played a key role in advancing emerging neuromorphic computing applications in wearable electronics. The core of flexibility in these devices lies in the flexibility of the functional materials, while the inherent brittleness of inorganic oxides presents a critical challenge for the development of flexible oxide memristors. By employing an entropy-engineering strategy to control the amorphization of oxide compositions, a precisely controlled crystalline/amorphous microstructure was obtained, resulting in a flexible BaTi_0.25Sn_0.25Hf_0.25Zr_0.25O₃ thin film that can withstand bending angles of up to 180°. Based on this material, an Au/BaTi_0.25Sn_0.25Hf_0.25Zr_0.25O₃/ITO/Mica device was designed, which functions as a memristor due to the increased oxygen vacancies induced by entropy engineering. Notably, the device consistently exhibits stable resistive switching behavior under both unbent and bent conditions, demonstrating remarkable endurance and reproducibility over multiple bending cycles. This work presents a significant strategy for advancing flexible memristor technologies, holding great promise for the next generation of high-performance flexible electronics.