Researchers couple printed logic with printed memory
October 26, 2011 | Source: Technology Review

The printed transistors on this sheet, made by PARC and Thinfilm, can address an array of printed memory cells (credit: Thinfilm)
Researchers at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) and the Norwegian company Thinfilm Electronics have announced a printed electronic device that, for the first time, marries transistors with memory.
The device provides a low-cost way to read, write, and process small amounts of data. In addition, the added logic increases the amount of data that can be stored. The prototype is a building block that can be used horizontally for a number of different applications.
Printed circuits, made of organic inks, operate far more slowly and with less memory capacity than their silicon counterparts, but they can be made for pennies. Printed circuits can also go where silicon currently cannot: wrapping around a child’s toy, for example, or conforming to the curve of a soldier’s helmet.
The technology could also record if a vaccine has been exposed to incorrect handling practices, or if food or other items that need refrigeration have gotten too warm.