First scalable printed cmos memory?
1 min read
Thinfilm Electronics has developed a working prototype of the world's first printed non volatile memory device addressed with complementary organic circuits – the organic equivalent of cmos circuitry.
According to the Swedish firm, working in partnership with Xerox company PARC Electronic Materials and Devices, the prototype is a significant milestone toward the mass production of low cost, low power ubiquitous devices that are a key component of the 'internet of things'.
Thinfilm Addressable Memory combines its polymer based memory technology with PARC's transistor technology using complementary pairs of n-type and p-type transistors to construct the circuits. The addition of the integrated circuits makes the roll to roll printed Thinfilm Memory addressable by printable logic.
"This milestone is an important step toward a new generation of electronics that will include the prospect of inexpensive memory everywhere," said Ross Bringans, vice president, PARC Electronic Materials and Devices Laboratory. "We're partnering with Thinfilm because they have shown that they can deliver a scalable, commercially viable version of this memory that will change the way people interact with the world."
Thinfilm ceo, Davor Sutija, added: "We have demonstrated that one can address an array of memory cells using printed logic. This opens up new fields of use, as now addressable memory can be combined with sensors, power sources and antennas to power smart applications. This prototype is a demonstration that low cost printed integrated systems and the tagging of everyday objects is possible, enabling Thinfilm's vision of 'memory everywhere'."
"This announcement is a significant step forward for the printed electronics industry," said Raghu Das, ceo of IDTechEx. "Having both printed memory and printed transistors to address the memory is a fundamental 'building block' that has applicability to, and enables an enormous number of applications across a myriad of markets."
