Communications of the ACM
Researchers Couple Printed Logic With Printed Memory
The printed transistors on this sheet, made by PARC and Thinfilm Electronics, can address an array of printed memory cells.
Credit: Courtesy of Thinfilm Electronics
Transistors have been combined with memory in a printed electronic device that offers an affordable way to read, write, and process small amounts of data.
The Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and Thinfilm Electronics announced the development of the prototype, and note that adding logic to memory increases the storage capacity of the device. "We really needed to have a printed logic array that lets us address memory and increase bit count," says PARC's Janos Veres. "The next step will be building bigger memory," says PARC's Janos Veres.
The development of printed logic circuits that are analogous to complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor circuits in silicon is one of the key advances of the prototype. Thinfilm CEO Davor Sutija also wants to integrate the printed electronic device with several printed electronics, particularly sensors. "You can see if a sensor has hit a particular threshold and record the number of times in memory," Sutija says. He notes the device should have several applications as long as manufacturing costs can be kept down.
From Technology Review
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