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Imagine a scenario where the memory stored in your digital camera or personal digitalassistant is partially based one of the most flexible materials made by man- plastic.The recent development in the memory was a new form of permanent computer memory which uses plastic and may be much cheaper and faster than the existing siliconcircuits which was invented by Researchers at Princeton University working with Hewlett-Packard. This memory is technically a hybrid which contains a plastic film, a flexible foilsubstrate and some silicon, that could store more data and cost less than traditional silicon- based chips for mobile devices such as handheld computers, cell phones and MP3 players.A conducting plastic has been used to create a new memory technology with the potentialto store a megabit of data in a millimeter square device -10 times denser than current magnetic memories. The device should also be cheap and fast, but cannot be rewritten, sowould only be suitable for permanent storage.The device sandwiches a blob of a conducting polymer called PEDOT (POLYETHYLENEDIOXYTHIOPENE) and a silicon diode between two perpendicular wires. Substantial research effort has focused on polymer-based transistors, which could form cheap, flexible circuits, butpolymer-based memory has received relativelylittle attention. However, turning the polymer into an insulator involves a permanent chemical change, meaning the memory can only be written to once. Its creators say this makes it ideal for archiving images and other data directly from a digital camera, cellphone or PDA, like an electronic version of film negatives.While microchip makers continue to wring more and more from silicon, the most dramatic improvements in the electronics industry could come from an entirely different material plastic.Labs around the world are working on integrated circuits, displays for handheld devices and even solar cellsthatrelyonelectricallyconductingpolymersnotsiliconforcheapandflexibleelectroniccomponents.Now twoof the worlds leading chipmakersare racing to developnewstock for this plastic microelectronic arsenal: plastic memory. Advanced Micro Devices ofSunnyvale, CA, is working with Coatue, a startupinWoburn, MA, to develop chips that store datain polymers rather than silicon. The technology, according to Coatue CEO Andrew Perlman,could lead to a cheaper and denser alternative to flash memory chipsthe type of memory usedindigital camerasandMP3 players. Meanwhile, Intel is collaboratingwithThinFilmTechnologie Linkping, Sweden,onasimilarhighcapacityplasticmemory.
In order to enable computers to work faster, there are several types of memory available today.Within a single computer there are more than one type of memory.MemoryDRAM SRAM NVRAM FLASH EEPROM PROM EPROM
RAM : The RAM family includes two important memory devices: static RAM (SRAM) anddynamic RAM (DRAM). The primary difference between them is the lifetime of the datathey store. SRAM retains its contents as long as electrical power is applied to the chip. If the power is turned off or lost temporarily, its contents will be lost forever. DRAM, on the other hand, has an extremely short data lifetimetypically about four milliseconds. This is true evenwhen power is applied constantly.
ROM : Memories in the ROM family are distinguished by the methods used to write newdata to them (usually called programming), and the number of times they can be rewritten.This classification reflects the evolution of ROM devices from hardwired to programmable toerasable-and-programmable. A common feature of all these devices is their ability to retaindata and programs forever, even during a power failure.
PROM : PROM (programmable ROM), is purchased in an unprogrammed state, then thedevice programmer writes data to the device one word at a time by applying an electricalcharge to the input pins of the chip. Once a PROM has been programmed in this way, itscontents can never be changed. If the code or data stored in the PROM must be changed the current device must be discarded. As a result, PROMs are also known as one-time programmable (OTP) devices.
EPROM : An EPROM (erasable-and-programmable ROM) is programmed in exactly thesame manner as a PROM. However, EPROMs can be erased and reprogrammed repeatedly.To erase an EPROM, you simply expose the device to a strong source of ultraviolet light. Bydoing this, you essentially reset the entire chip to its initial unprogrammed state.
HYBRID MEMORY : As memory technology has matured in recent years, the line betweenRAM and ROM has blurred. Now, several types of memory combine features of both. Thesedevices do not belong to either group and can be collectively referred to as hybrid memorydevices. Hybrid memories can be read and written as desired, like RAM, but maintain their contents without electrical power, just like ROM. Two of the hybrid devices, EEPROM andflash, are descendants of ROM devices. These are typically used to store code. The thirdhybrid, NVRAM, is a modified version of SRAM. NVRAM usually holds persistent data.
EEPROM : An EEPROM (also called an E PROM) or Electrically ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory, is a nonvolatile storage chip used in computersand other devices to store small amounts of volatile (configuration) data.Any bytewithin an EEPROM may be erased and rewritten. Once written, the new data willremain in the device forever-or at least until it is electrically erased. EEPROMs aresimilar to EPROMs, but the erase operation is accomplished electrically, rather than byexposure to ultraviolet light. SEEPROM, meaning Serial EEPROM, is an EEPROMchip that uses a serial interface to the circuit board.
FL S MEMORY AH :Flashmemory(sometimescalled"flashRAM")isatypeofconstantly-powerednonvolatilememorythatcanbeerasedand reprogrammedinunitsofmemorycalledblocks.ItisavariationofEEPROMwhich,unlikeflashmemory,iserasedand rewrittenatthebytelevel,whichisslowerthanflashmemoryupdating.Flashmemoryisoftenusedtoholdcontrolcodesuch asthebasicinput/outputsystem(BIOS)inapersonalcomputer.WhenBIOSneedstobechanged(rewritten),theflash memorycanbewrittento inblock(ratherthanbyte)sizes,makingiteasytoupdate.Ontheotherhand,flashmemoryisnot usefulasrandomaccessmemory(RAM)becauseRAMneedstobeaddressableatthebyte(nottheblock)level.When largeramountsofmorestaticdataaretobestored(suchasinUSBflashdrives)othermemorytypeslikeflashmemoryare moreeconomic. . NVRAM : The third member of the hybrid memory class is NVRAM (non-volatileRAM). Non-volatility is also a characteristic of the ROM and hybrid memoriesdiscussed previously. However, an NVRAM is physically very different from thosedevices. An NVRAM is usually just an SRAM with a battery backup. When the power is turned on, the NVRAM operates just like any other SRAM. When the power isturned off, the NVRAM draws just enough power from the battery to retain its data. NVRAM is fairly common in embedded systems.DigitalMemoryisandhasbeenaclosecomradeofeachandeverytechnical advancementinInformationTechnology.Thecurrentmemorytechnologieshavealotoflimitations.DRAMisvolatileand difficulttointegrate.RAMishighcostandvolatile.Flashhasslowerwritesandlessernumberofwrite/erasecyclescompared toothers.Thesememorytechnologieswhenneededtoexpandwillallowexpansiononlytwodimensionalspace.Hencearea requiredwillbeincreased.Theywillnotallowstackingofonememorychipovertheother.Alsothestoragecapacitiesarenot enoughtofulfilltheexponentiallyincreasingneed.HenceindustryissearchingforHolyGrailfuturememorytechnologiesfor portabledevicessuchascellphones,mobilePCsetc.Nextgenerationmemoriesaretryingatradeoffsbetweensizeandcost .Thismakethemgoodpossibilitiesfordevelopment .
N X GENERATION MEMORIES ET
Asmentionedearliermicrochipmakerscontinuetowringmoreandmorefromsilicon,largenumberofmemory technologieswereemerged.ThesememorytechnologiesarereferredasNextGenerationMemories.NextGeneration Memoriessatisfyallofthegoodattributesofmemory.Themostimportantoneamongthemistheirabilitytosupport expansioninthreedimensionalspaces.Intel,thebiggestmakerofcomputerprocessors,isalsothelargestmakerofflashmemorychipsistryingtocombinetheprocessingfeaturesandspacerequirementsfeatureandseveralnextgeneration memoriesarebeingstudiedinthisperspective.TheyincludeMRAM,FeRAM,PlasticmemoryandOvonicsUnified Memory.Plasticmemoryistheleadingtechnologyamongthem.Itismainlybecauseoftheirexpansioncapabilityinthree dimensionalspaces.ThefollowinggraphalsoemphasisacceptanceofPlasticmemory. MemoryTechnologyComparison Thegraphshowsacomparisonbetweencostandspeedi.e.,theRead/Writetime.Diskdrivesarefasterbutexpensivewhereas semiconductormemoryisslowerinread/write.Plasticmemoryliesinanoptimumposition
Plastic-based memory modules, as against silicon-based ones, promise to revolutionize thestorage space and memory capabilities of chips. Coatues plastic memory cells are about one-quarter the size of conventional silicon cells. And unlike silicon devices, the polymer cells can bestacked that architecture could translate into memory chips with several times the storage capacityof flash memory. By 2004, Coatue hopes to have memory chips on the market that can store 32gigabits, outperforming flash memory, which should hold about two gigabits by then, to produce athree-dimensional structure.
ButtheTaiwaneseresearchersfoundawaytopreventthatbystabilizingthenanoparticles.Inthememorydevice,gold nanoparticlesareconnecteddirectlytopolymerchains,whichactasfingersthatgetentangledwiththehostpolymer,saysPei. Therefore,thestabilizationofthestructureoftheorganicmemorycanbeensuredevenifhigh-voltagestressisapplied.Peis teamplanstoshowoffthedeviceon 17 And 18 Decemberatthe2007 InternationalSymposiumforFlexible ElectronicsandDisplay(ISFED),tobeheldinHsinchu,Taiwan,andsponsoredbyITRI.. 1 2 Anorganicmemoryisconsideredessentialtoimplementflexibleelectronics,suchasradio-frequencyidentification(RFID), smartcards,e-paper,andflexibledisplays.Inmid-March,ITRIlaunchedTaiwansfirstlaboratorydedicatedtoflexible electronics,withUS$ 9.1millioninfunding.Otherresearchgroupsarealsopursuingorganicnonvolatilememorydevices usingeitherdifferentnanoparticles,suchascarbon-60,embeddedintheplasticorusingtheplasticaspartofanorganic transistorstructure
represent logicone and logiczero. Here polarizations of polymers are changed up or down to represent logic one and zero. Nowlets see what are a dipole and a dipole moment
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A two-terminal device in which an organic semiconducting polymer is sandwiched betweentwo electrodes, indium doped tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum. The experimental devices containtwo polymer layers. The first layer consists of PEDOT: PSS to which an inorganic salt (e.g.lithium triflate) and plasticizer (ethylene carbonate, EC) have been added. The second layer consists of poly (3- hexylthiophene) (P3HT) doped with the plasticizer. Motion of the ions presentin the device under influence of an electric field is expected to induce switching between a highand a low conduction state, the so called ON and OFF state of a memory device.The researchers made the storage device by spreading a 50-nanometer layer of the polymer regioregularpoly on glass, then topping it with an aluminum electrode. To write a space charge tothe device, they applied a positive20-second, 3-volt pulse. To read the state, they used a 0.2-volt,one minute pulse. Any kind of negative electrical pulse erased this high state, or charge, replacingit with the default low state. In this process, a continuous sheet of flexible polymer is unrolledfrom one spool, covered with circuit-board-like patterns of silicon, and collected on another spool.The Thin Film memory design is solid state, with no mechanical or moving parts involved. Ituses a passively addressed, cross point matrix. An ultra thin layer of the TFE polymer issandwiched between two sets of electrodes. A typical array may consist of several thousand suchelectrically conducting lines and hence millions of electrode crossings. Memory cells are defined by the physical overlap of the electrode crossings and selected by applying voltage. Each electrodecrossing represents one bit of information in a true4f (4-Lampda square) cell structure, thesmallest possible physical memory cell. The effective cell footprint is further reduced if additionalmemory layers are applied. In the latter case, each new layer adds the same capacity as the firstone. This stacking is a fundamental strength of the Thin Film technology. The plastic memorylayers are just1/10,000 of a millimeter or less in thickness, autonomous and easy to deposit. Layer upon layer may be coated on a substrate. A layer may include a self-contained active memorystructure with on-layer TFT circuitry, or share circuitry with all other layers. Both approachesoffer true 3D memory architecture. The stacking option will enable manufacturers to give gain previously unattainable storage capacity within a givenfootprint .
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The plastic memory technology promises to store more data at less cost than theexpensive-to-build silicon chips used by popular consumer gadgets including digitalcameras, cell phones and portable music players.The memory cannot be rewritten, but can be read very fast and with low power consumption. So this would be suitable only for permanent storage.Unlike flash memory found in consumer devices, the new technology can bewritten to only once, though it can be read many times. It acts in that respect like a nonrewriteable compact disc. But this new memory, which retains data even when there'sno power, won't require a power-hungry laser or motor to read or write, and promisesmore capacity.PEDOT-based machine could solve the problem of virus hackers, who rely onthe fact they cannot afford to leave a trace out of fear of being caught for their dirtywork.With PEDOT-based solutions, hackers would not be able to erase their IPaddresses. Instead of rewriting over existing data, PEDOT would just create a staticsection for incoming data. This ensures that the integrity of data on documents ispreserved over long periods of time.
CONCLUSION
The fundamental strength i.e., the stacking of memory layers which yields maximum storagecapacity in a given footprint is the main reason why Plastic memory is highly preferred. The non-volatileness and other features are in built in molecular level and offers very high advantages interms of cost. Polymers ,which are once considered to be the main reason for pollution andreferred to be removed from the earth, has found a new area of utilization.Plastic memory is much cheaper and faster than the existing silicon a circuit was invented by Researchers at Princeton University working with HewlettPackard. Plastic memory is acombination of materials that could lower the cost and boost the density of electronicmemory. It is an all-organic memory system with manifold advantages: in speed, production,energy consumption, storage capacity and cost. The memory cannot be rewritten, but can beread very fast and with low power consumption. So this would be suitable only for permanent storage.