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Thinfilm with first scalable printed CMOS memory
Thin Film Electronics ASA together with PARC, a Xerox company, have produced a working prototype of the world's first printed non-volatile memory device addressed with complementary organic circuits, the organic equivalent of CMOS circuitry.
Thinfilm Addressable Memory consists of Thinfilm's printed memory and PARC's transistors. This demonstration 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 Thinfilm's 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.
The demonstration of Thinfilm's Addressable Memory is a significant step toward the vision of a world filled with the "Internet of things", where everything is connected via a smart tag. These smart tags require the commercial availability of devices that:
· have rewritable memory,
· are low cost,
· support integration with sensors and other electronic components,
· are environmentally friendly,
· and can be produced using high volume, roll-to-roll printing.
The demonstrated prototype, rewritable memory with logic circuitry, will meet all of these requirements.
"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."
"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," said Davor Sutija, Thinfilm CEO. "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'."
