NC State University researchers soft memory machine create, just add water

We're not big fans of the word moist, yet the objects typically describes. But if you call it muddy, some memory functions into and beat well in a lab of at North Carolina State University--develop, then are we all smiles. This is precisely what researchers at the school with their "similar to the human brain" have storage device achieved (mmmm...) (Brains). Known as Memristoren, these bio-compatible electronics are ideal for harsh environments with wet, that other Wussier-tech not crush cars. Frost with the fluctuating "properties of Jell-o", the squishy water-based gel and houses Gallium and Iridium alloys, which between vary, to / from electrically conductive and resistive state-the 1 and 0, or is. Capacity for the gelatinous invention is optimized not for significant real use, but you can bet that this thing Exo-suit anyday now will make its way into the Krang. Bill Cosby approves PR after the break. Complete PR TextSoft store opens door to new biocompatible device electronics map

Release date: 07.14.2011

Researchers from North Carolina State University developed a storage device, which is soft and functions even in damp environments - open the door to a new generation of bio-compatible electronic devices.

"We a storage device with the physical properties of Jell-o, have created", says Dr. Michael Dickey, Assistant Professor of chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State and co-author a paper describes the research.

Researchers have a storage device with the physical properties of Jell-o and works created in moist environments.

Materials and does not function in a wet environment are brittle usually made of rigid, conventional electronics. "Our storage device is soft and pliable and works very well in moist environments - much like the human brain," Dickey says.

Prototypes of the device have not yet optimized to keep significant amounts of memory, but work well in environments that would be hostile to traditional electronics. The devices are similar to manufactured with a liquid alloy of gallium and Indium metals set in water-based gels, gels used in biological research.

The device functionality in moist environments and biocompatibility gels, mean that this technology holds promise such as cells, enzymes, or tissue for the integration of electronics with biological systems. "These properties can be used for biological sensors or for medical surveillance," Dickey says.

The device works like many so-called "Memristoren," that are boasted as a possible future memory technology. The individual components of "the wind verweht" USB have two status values: a, which results in power and one that is not the case. These two countries can be used to represent the ones and zeros used in binary language. The most conventional electronics with electrons can create these ones and zeros in computer chips. By gone with the wind storage device using charged molecules called ions, to do the same.

In each of the storage device circuits the metal alloy is the electrode and sits on both sides of a conductive gel. When the electrode alloy a positive charge is exposed to it creates an oxidized skin, which makes it resistive to electricity. We recall that the 0. If the electrode is exposed to a negative charge, the oxidized skin disappears, and it is conducive to electricity. We call the the 1.

Whenever a negative charge is applied to one side of the electrode, the positive charge would normally move to the other side and others create an oxidized skin - which means that the electrode would be more resistive. To resolve this problem, "the researchers doped" one side of the gel-slab with a polymer that prevents the formation of a stable oxidized skin. This way of an electrode is always beneficial-give the device the ones and zeros it needs for electronic memory.

The paper, "towards all-soft matter circuits: prototypes of the quasi-liquid Memristor devices properties," was released online July 4 advanced material. The paper was drafted by NC State graduate students Hyung-Jun-Koo and Ju-Hee Sun, together and NC State Invista Professor of chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Orlin tourist. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of energy.

NC State Department of chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is part of the University College of engineering.