Communications of the ACM
Soft Memory Device Opens Door to New Biocompatible Electronics
Researchers have created a memory device with the physical properties of Jell-O, and that functions well in wet environments.
Photo courtesy of North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NCSU) researchers have developed a memory device that it is soft, pliable, and works well in wet environments. The researchers used a liquid alloy of gallium and indium metals set in water-based gels, similar to gels used in biological research, to make the device.
The researchers say the technology has the potential to be used to interface electronics with biological systems, such as cells, enzymes, or tissue. "These properties may be used for biological sensors or for medical monitoring," says NCSU professor Michael Dickey.
The device has a state that conducts electricity and another that does not, using charged molecules called ions. In each of the memory device's circuits, the metal alloy is the electrode and sits on either side of a conductive piece of gel. When the alloy electrode is exposed to a positive charge it creates an oxidized skin that makes it resistive to electricity, which would be the 0 used in binary language, and exposure to a negative charge leads the oxidized skin to disappear and become conducive to electricity, which would be the 1. To ensure one electrode is always conducive, the team doped one side of the gel slab with a polymer that prevents the formation of a stable oxidized skin.
From NCSU News
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