Flexible components possess characteristics of memristors

The researchers say that the component has similar properties to a memristor - a resistor that changes its resistance according to the current sent through it and maintains this resistance even after the power is turned off. The new chips can operate on less than 10V, maintain memory when power is lost and still function after more than 4000 flexes – opening the door for a wide range of applications. The NIST researchers made the discovery by taking polymer sheets and depositing a thin film of titanium dioxide. This was achieved by spinning the material in liquid form and allowing it set. Electrical contacts were then added and the result was a memory switch that not only resembled a memristor, but was flexible. NIST researcher Nadine Gergel-Hackett, said: "We wanted to make a flexible memory component that would advance the development and metrology of flexible electronics, while being economical enough for widespread use. Because the active component of our device can be fabricated from a liquid, there is the potential that in the future we can print the entire memory device as simply and inexpensively as we now print a slide on an overhead transparency." Gergel-Hackett added that the flexible devices could eventually be used as wearable sensors to track blood pressure and heart rate or check for blood sugar levels. However, as the devices have multiple states, this is a trait that could also help advance artificial intelligence or computing.