Advancing Memory: Plastic Memory

A new technology that stores much more data with a lesser cost when compared to the traditional silicon-based chips, that are used in mobile devices like handheld computers, mobile phones, MP3 players etc.

A conducting plastic is used for creating new memory technology, aiming the memory with a potential of storing megabits of data in a mm-square device. This is approximately 10 times dense than the currently used magnetic memories.

This technology will also reduce the cost of devices, making them faster. But, since this memory is not rewritable, it can be used for storing data permanently. The reason behind rewritability is that polymer is permanently converted to an insulator, making this process irreversible.

A blob of a conducting polymer, PEDOT, which exists in 2 states, conductor and insulator, and silicon diode placed between 2 perpendicularly placed wires. The high current when passes through PEDOT makes it an insulator. The passing of high current through PEDOT turns it into an insulator. The two states enable data storage.

The difference in the traditional and this technology is the use of diode along with silicon, which keeps a capability of turning into a fuse.

For reading the memory, current is passes to wire at the top and current is measured in wire at bottom. A bit is 0 if there is no current. To make a technology, HP is making advancement by making grid of intersecting wires which will enable multiple reads and multiple writes.

This technology is fast, with less transistor requirements. The costs of building this memory is just 5% of the conventional silicon memory.
Just like flash memory, its power consumption is low and memory is maintained even the supply is turned off .

This new Plastic Memory Technology ensures an user to store more data, bearing less costs, with lower building expenses.