OLED Flexible Flash Memory is Coming

Flash memory technology may be entering a new phase with the introduction of the organic flash memory device. Existing flash memory devices store data in silicon transistors. Information is written in memory and is retained even when the memory device is powered down. Flash memory is ideal for portable and mobile devices such as USB drives, MP3 players and digital cameras. A flexible version, offered by the new organic flash memory device, may soon be available in applications where ordinary flash memory would not permit. Sample applications are in large-area devices for entertainment and industrial fields. The new technology was developed by scientists working at University of Tokyo’s Department of Engineering and Information Systems. They came out with a stretchable OLED prototype that utilizes the same type of floating-gate transistors usually found in silicon-based flash memories. The flexible memory device memory can be bent down to its minimum curvature radius of 6mm without causing mechanical damage and electrical degradation. If this technology finally finds its way to commercial deployment, we could be seeing soon in the market flexible computing devices that were never before thought possible.