Transparent, flexible 3D memory chips may be the next big thing in small memory devices
March 28, 2012
A flexible, transparent memory chip created by researchers at Rice University (credit: Tour Lab/Rice University)
New memory chips that are transparent, flexible enough to be folded like a sheet of paper, shrug off 1,000-degree Fahrenheit temperatures, and survive radiation could usher in the development of next-generation flash-competitive memory says Dr. James M. Tour, Professor of Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials Science at Rice University.
He said devices with these chips could retain data despite an accidental trip through the drier — or even a voyage to Mars. And with a unique 3-D internal architecture, the new chips could pack extra gigabytes of data while taking up less space for tomorrow’s keychain drives, cell phones, and computers.
“These new chips are really big for the electronics industry because they are now looking for replacements for flash memory,” said Tour. “In order to put more memory into a smaller area, you have to stack components beyond two dimensions, which is what is currently available,” he said. “You have to go to 3D.”
Researchers at Rice University found that the amazing memory capability of the chips was due to metallic silicon nanofilaments. The transparency and small size of the new chips enables them to be used in a wide range of potential applications. For example, current touch screens are made of indium tin oxide and glass, both of which are brittle and can break easily. However, glass or plastic containing the memory chips could replace those screens with the added bonuses of being flexible while also storing large amounts of memory.
Comments (4)
by Bob
Perhaps in the same manner the rods and cones of the eye preprocess visual data, the new transparent electronics can process the view from the screen. Then at the same time you are looking at your computer it is looking at you!
by Spikosauropod
Like James Tour says, you could use this to make a phone that is even harder to find when it gets lost. I can’t see how this would be useful except for making really elegant looking electronics…something along the lines of the crystals in Superman.
I have a fantasy about making a magic scroll that rolls up like a regular scroll and looks like aged rag paper. It wouldn’t require transparent electronics, but it couldn’t hurt.
by craison
An you just didn’t managed to think about Retinal Implants , SmartGlasses , Systems Embedded in Contact Lenses etc, etc ?
WHAT A SHAME !
by Spikosauropod
I thought of those things, but why does the processing have to take place on the transparent area. A car has a motor, but the motor does mot have to co-occupy the window.