Firm memory, flexible chip

A team of engineers from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have pioneered a way to make flexible computer memory chips out of inexpensive materials.

Flexible memory chips have significant potential as they are currently one of the barriers to many applications, such as medical monitoring systems.

The new solution uses polymer sheets (as used in overhead projections) coated in a layer of titanium dioxide (which is found in sunscreen). The material is added using a inexpensive process called sol gelling. To this, the team added electrical circuits which operate at 10 volts and are capable of keeping memory when the power is shut off. The circuit can also still function after 4,000 flexes.

Commenting on the unit, 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."

You can view a video clip of the chip here.

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