GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY

Module:3 Memory Devices and Display Systems

Memory Devices
Introduction
A memory is just like a human brain. It is used to store data and instruction. Computer memory is the storage
space in computer where data is to be processed and instructions required for processing are stored. The
memory is divided into large number of small parts. Each part is called a cell. Each location or cell has a
unique address which varies from zero to memory size minus one.
Definition
A memory device is a piece of hardware used to store data. Most electronic devices such as computers, mobile
phones, tablets, etc all have a storage device that stores data and/or programs.
Basic Concepts of Electronic Memory
*The basic goal of a memory device is to provide a means for storing and accessing binary digital data
sequences of “1’s” and “0’s”, as one of the core functions (primary storage) of modern computers.
*An electronic memory device is a form of semiconductor storage which is fast in response and compact in
size, and can be read and written when coupled with a central processing unit (CPU, a processor).
*In conventional silicon-based electronic memory, data are stored based on the amount of charge stored in the
memory cells.
*Organic/polymer electronic memory stores data in an entirely different way, for instance, based on
different electrical conductivity states (ON and OFF states) in response to an applied electric field.
* Organic/polymer electronic memory is likely to be an alternative or at least a supplementary technology to
conventional semiconductor electronic memory.
History of Organic/polymer Electronic Memory Devices
Different forms of storage, based on various natural phenomena, have been reported since the 1940s. A computer
system usually contains several kinds of storage, each with an individual purpose. In the 1960s, there was a great
interest in the electrical properties of amorphous semiconductors and disordered structures, arising from their
unusual electrical properties which also make them promising materials for device applications
*In 1968, Gregor observed bistable negative resistance in polymer materials and noted that a
Pb/polydivinylbenzene/Pb bistable electrical switching device is capable of acting as an information storage
device.
*In 1970, Sliva et al. reported that devices based on phthalocyanines and polystyrene all exhibited bistable
switching behaviour.
*High performance all organic or polymer transistor memory devices have been demonstrated by Naber et al.
Transistor memory devices can be faster and more readily integrated with traditional electronics.
*Polymer memory devices based on CT effects from doping of a polymer matrix by electron donors, such as 8-
hydroxyquinoline (8HQ), tetrathiafulvalene (TTF), polyaniline (PANI), poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT), or
electron acceptors such as gold nanoparticles, copper metallic filaments and phenyl C 61-butyric acid methyl ester
(PCBM), have been reported.
Classification of Electronic Memory Devices:
According to the device structure, electronic memory devices can be divided into four primary categories:
transistor-type, capacitor-type, resistor-type and charge transfer type.
1.Transistor Type Electronic Memory
It is converted into p-type and n-type semiconductor by doping trivalent and pentavalent impurities. Transistors
are made using p-type and n-type semiconductors. A transistor is a miniature device that works as an amplifier
or as switch. A computer memory chip can consist of billions of transistors, each transistor is working as a
Mrs. Preethi G, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
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chip, which can be switched ON and OFF. Each transistor can be in two different states and store two
different numbers, Zero and One. Since chip is made of billons of transistors and can store billions of Zeros
and Ones, and almost every number and letter can be stored.

Examples: Amplifier Circuits, Microphones, Oscillator Circuits, Electronic Switch, Compact Disc Players,
Transistor LASERS, Night Vision Enhancer etc..
2.Capacitor Type Electronic Memory
A capacitor consists of two metal plates which are capable of storing an electric charge. It is used to store data. It
is like battery that holds data based on energy. If a capacitor is charged that holds the binary memory, 1 and holds
0 when the cell is discharged. If the parallel plates of capacitors are separated by dielectric layer, charges dissipate
slowly and memory would be volatile. If the medium between the electrodes is ferromagnetic in nature, can
maintain permanent electric polarization that can be repeated switched between two stable states(bistable) by an
external electric field. Thus, memory based on ferroelectric capacitors (FeRAM) are non-volatile memory.

Examples: Camera Flash, Fans, Emergency Shutdown System for Computers, Audio Equipment, AC to DC
Converters, Energy Storing Devices, Sensors etc..
3.Resistor Type Electronic Memory
Memory devices containing switchable resistive materials are classified as resistor type electronic memory.
Resistor type electronic memory usually has simple structure, metal insulator metal structure generally referred to
as MIM structure. The structure comprises of insulating layer(I) sandwiched between the two metal(E) electrodes
and supported on substrates (glass, silicon wafer, plastic or metal foil). Initially, the device is under is under
resistance state or OFF and logically ‘’0’’state, when resistance changed or under external applied field changes
to low resistance state or ON logical value ‘’I’’.

Mrs. Preethi G, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry

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Examples: Computer Processors, Air Conditioner, Graphics Processing Unit, Integrated Circuits, Video Game
Cartridges, Laser Range Finder, Astronomy etc…
4.Charge transfer Type Electronic Memory
Charge transfer (CT) complex is defined as an electron donor-acceptor (D-A) complex, characterized by an
electronic transition to an excited state in which a partial transfer of charge occurs from the donor moiety.
The conductivity of the This type of electronic devices is based on the charge transfer effect of charge
transfer complex. A charge transfer (CT) complex consists of two parts, one electron donor and other an
electron acceptor. It is also called as donor –acceptor (D-A) complex. The conductivity of a CT complex is
dependent on the ionic binding between the D-A components. This results in difference in conductivity. CT
complexes exhibit bistable states due to difference in conductivity.
Charge Transfer Effects:
1. HOMO: Highest occupied molecular orbital and
2. LUMO: Lowest unoccupied molecular orbital.

Types of Organic Memory Materials

There are three classes of materials which can exhibit bistable states and are used in organic memory devices.
They are,
1.Organic molecules
2.Polymeric materials
3.Organic-Inorganic hybrid materials.
1.Organic Molecules
Organic semiconductors are π-conjugated polycyclic and heterocyclic systems which have a certain degree of
electrical conductivity. There are two major classes of organic semiconductors-low molecular weight materials
and polymers. Organic semiconductors can be divided according to the character of charge carriers into p-type (a
positive charge or hole as the major carrier).
 The n-type (a negative charge or electron as the major carrier) or Ambipolar organic semiconductors (both
electrons and holes are involved as charge carriers).
 The p-Type Organic Semiconductor Material “Pentacene”. An Organic molecule with π conjugated
system and possesses holes as major charge carrier is called p- type semiconductor.
Example: Pentacene.
2.Polymeric Materials
Polymer memory refers to memory technologies based on the application of organic polymers. Some of
these technologies use variations in the resistance of carrying polymers under reading/write command.
Different architectures are based on ferroelectric polymers. The characteristics of polymer memory are low-
cost and high-performance and have the potential for 3D stacking and mechanical adaptability. Polymer
memory is the best technology among others. It is mainly because of their expansion ability in three-
dimensional spaces.
Mrs. Preethi G, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
 GLOBAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY

Example:
A polymer known as (PEDOT) is a vital plastic was used to store the digital data as a gigabyte and be
adequately modest to rival CDs and DVDs.
3.Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials
Generally organic-inorganic hybrid materials are composed of organic layers containing inorganic materials.
Materials used are allotropes of carbon like fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, graphene and metal nanoparticles,
semiconductor nanoparticles and inorganic quantum dots (QDs).
a. Organic–Carbon Allotrope Hybrid Materials
Polymers containing electron donors such as thiophene, fluorine, carbazole and aniline derivatives can be
combined with fullerenes to obtain a charge transfer hybrid material with donor-acceptor ability and
electrical bistable states. Fullerenes exhibit high electron-withdrawing ability and can capture up to six
electrons.
b. Organic–Inorganic Nanocomposites
These are hybrid electronic memory devices in which organic polymer with appropriate functional group is
clubbed with metal nanoparticles, quantum dots and metal oxide nanoparticles.
An example is a composite of 8-hydroxyquinoline containing polymer with gold nanoparticles sandwiched
between two metal electrodes.

Mrs. Preethi G, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry