Electrically addressable passive device, method for electrical addressing of the same and uses of the device and the method

• US 6,055,180 A
• Filed: 02/12/1999
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thin Film Electronics ASA
• Original Assignee: Thin Film Electronics ASA
• Inventors: Leistad, Geirr Ivarsson, Nordal, Per-Erik, Gudesen, Hans Gude
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lam, David
• Application Number:
  US09/147,680
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 365/175, 365/105, 365/243, 365/111
• US Class Current: 365/175
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0014 comprising cells based on organic memory material
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0016 comprising polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/04 using optical elements ; using other beam accessed elements, e.g. electron or ion beam
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/00 Read-only memories programmable only once; Semi-permanent stores, e.g. manually-replaceable information cards
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/14 in which contents are determined by selectively establishing, breaking or modifying connecting links by permanently altering the state of coupling elements, e.g. PROM
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/16 using electrically-fusible links
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/165 Memory cells which are electrically programmed to cause a change in resistance, e.g. to permit multiple resistance steps to be programmed rather than conduct to or from non-conduct change of fuses and antifuses digital stores using resistance random access memory elements G11C13/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/71 Three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/77 Array wherein the memory element being directly connected to the bit lines and word lines without any access device being used

Abstract

An electrically addressable passive device for registration, storage and/or processing of data comprises a functional medium (1) in the form of a continuous or patterned structure (S) which may undergo a physical or chemical change of state. The functional medium (1) comprises individually addressable cells (2) which represent a registered or detected value or are assigned a predetermined logical value for the cell. The cell (2) is provided between the anode (3) and cathode (4) in an electrode means (E) which contacts the function medium in the cell and causes an electrical coupling therethrough, the functional medium having a non-linear impedance characteristic, whereby the cell (2) directly can be supplied with energy which effects a change in the state of the cell. In a method for electrical addressing of the passive device wherein the addressing comprises operations for i.a. detection and registration as well as further operations for writing, reading and switching of a logical value assigned to the cell, electric energy is applied directly to the functional medium of the cell in order to change its state and hence effect an addressing operation. Use in optical detector means, volumetric data storage devices or data processing devices.

Claims

1. An electrically addressable device for at least one of recording, storage and processing of data, said electrically addressable device comprising:

a functional medium in the form of a substantially layer-like continuous or patterned structure, the functional medium undergoing a physical or chemical change of state by a suitable energetic influence, the functional medium including a plurality of individually addressable passive cells provided in a two-dimensional pattern, the functional medium being realized as a homogenous or stratified structure comprising at least one substantially organic material, and a given physical or chemical state in a cell representing a recorded or detected value or are assigned a predetermined logic value for the cell, the cells being provided between the electrodes of an electrode means which directly or indirectly contacts said functional medium in each cell to effect a direct or indirect electrical coupling therethrough, whereby each cell can be supplied with electrical energy for detection of the physical or chemical state or a change in the physical or chemical state therein,

a plurality of substantially parallel electric conductors being provided on each side of said functional medium such that overlying and underlying conductors intersect each other in a substantially orthognal mutual relationship, said electrode means for each cell being formed in an intersection point between a respective overlying and underlying conductor, such that said cells in said functional medium and assigned electrode means form the elements of a matrix whose rows and columns are defined by respectively the overlying and underlying electric conductors which in the intersection points form the electrodes of said electrode means, that said functional medium in each cell having an overall non-linear impedance characteristic, and that said at least one substantially organic material of said functional medium being a polymer material.

2. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein each cell comprises a rectifying diode formed between the anode and the cathode of said electrode means, such that the device forms an electrical network of diodes.

3. An electrically addressable device according to claims 2, wherein said rectifying diode is formed spontaneously by directly contacting said polymer material between the electrodes.

4. An electrically addressable device according to claim 3, wherein the electric conductors are provided in or on a substantially layer-like substrate adjacent to said functional medium on each side thereof.

5. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein the electric conductors are provided in or on said functional medium and contacts the functional medium directly.

6. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein a dielectric layer is provided on each side of said functional medium and between the functional medium and the electric conductors, such that the electric conductors contact said functional medium indirectly.

7. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein the electric conductors on at least one side of said functional medium are formed by a transparent material.

8. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein said polymer material is a conjugated polymer.

9. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein said polymer material is a ferroelectric polymer.

10. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein an organic material of said functional medium is an anisotropic electrical conducting material.

11. An electrically addressable device according to claim 10, wherein said anisotropic electrical conducting material includes separate electrical conducting domains surrounded by an electrical isolating material.

12. An electrically addressable device according to claim 11, wherein said conducting domains are formed by phase separation between at least two organic liquids which are distributed in the form of a substantially layer-like structure before the electric conductors and possible substrates for these are provided on both sides of said functional medium.

13. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein a substance which emits light by application of electric energy is added to an organic material of said functional medium, and the organic material under influence of the emitted light and heat generated by the electric energy applied undergo a chemical reaction which effects a change in impedance of the functional medium.

14. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein one or more substances are added to an organic material of said functional medium and emit or detect light on different wavelengths or in different wavelength bands by application of electric energy.

15. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein said functional medium comprises a ferroelectric liquid crystal.

16. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein said functional medium comprises fusible microcrystallites.

17. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein an organic material of aid functional medium or a substance added to the organic material transfer from a crystalline phase to an amorphous phase or vice versa.

18. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein an organic material of said functional medium is a multistable conformation reactive organic material.

19. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein an organic material of said functional medium is an organic semiconductor.

20. An electrically addressable device according to claim 19, wherein said organic semiconductor in each cell forms a diode junction either inherently or in conjunction with either electrode.

21. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein an organic material of said functional medium is an organic charge transfer compound.

22. An electrically addressable device according to claim 21, wherein said organic charge transfer compound is TCNQ (7, 7, 8, 8-tetracyanoquinodimethane) and forms a charge transfer complex with an electron donor.

23. An electrically addressable device according to claim 1, wherein said functional medium additionally comprises one or more inorganic semiconducting materials, provided in respective one or more separate layers.

24. An electrically addressable device according to claim 23, wherein an inorganic semiconducting material is amorphous hydrogenated silicon.

25. An electrically addressable device according to claim 23, wherein an inorganic semiconducting material forms a diode junction either inherently or in conjunction with either electrode.

26. The use of an electrically addressable device according to claim 1 in an optical detector means.

27. The use of an electrically addressable device according to claim 1 in one of a volumetric data storage device and data processing device.

28. A method for electrical addressing of a device for at least one of recording, storing and processing of data, wherein the device comprises a functional medium in the form of a substantially layer-like continuous or patterned structure, the functional medium undergoing a physical or chemical change of state by a suitable energetic influence, the functional medium including a plurality of individually addressable cells provided in a two-dimensional pattern, the functional medium being realized with a homogenous or stratified structure comprising at least one substantially organic material, a given physical or chemical state in a cell representing a recorded or detected value or assigned a predetermined logic value for the cell, the addressing comprises operations for detection of a recorded or detected value in the cell and additional operations for writing, reading, erasing and switching of logical value assigned to the cell, the method comprising:

supplying electrical energy directly to the functional medium of the cell for detecting or changing at least one of the physical and chemical state of the cell and hence causing an addressing operation, providing said functional medium of the cell with an overall non-linear impedance characteristic,

providing a polymer material as the at least one organic material of said functional medium,

applying electrical energy to a cell by providing said cell between an anode and a cathode in an electrode means which directly or indirectly contacts the functional medium in said cell, and

applying an electric voltage to said cell and effecting a direct or indirect electrical coupling therethrough whereby the logical value of a cell is at least one of detected and switched.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein said cell is formed in an intersection point between respective substantially parallel electric conductors provided on each side of said functional medium, and an overlying and an underlying conductor intersects each other in a substantially orthogonal mutual relationship and comprises respectively the electrodes in an electrode means of said cell, such that the cells in the functional medium and their assigned electrode means form elements in a matrix whose rows and columns are defined by respectively the overlying and underlying electric conductors.

30. A method according to claim 28, wherein said cell is provided with a highly non-linear voltage characteristic.

31. A method according to claim 28, wherein electric energy is supplied by injection of electric charges into said cell.

32. A method according to claim 28, wherein energy is supplied by generating electric fields in said cell.

33. A method according to claim 28, wherein a substance which can emit light by application of electric energy is added to an organic material of the functional medium such that the emitted light, together with heat generated by electric energy applied, triggers a chemical reaction in the organic material, and the overall impedance of said functional medium is changed.

34. A method according to claim 28, wherein one or more substances which by application of electric energy emit or detect light on different wavelengths or in different wavelength bands are added to an organic material of the functional medium, and the spectral characteristics of the emitted light is changed by varying the voltage value of the applied electric energy.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein a logical value is assigned to a cell switched by applying a high voltage value to the cell, the logical value is read by detection of the light emission during an applied low voltage value, such that said cell emits long wavelength light which does not influence the physical or chemical state of the functional medium, the intensity of the long wavelength light is dependent on the logical value.

36. A method according to claim 28, wherein an organic material of the functional medium is a ferroelectric liquid crystal or a ferroelectric polymer, and a logical value assigned to a cell is detected measuring the impedance of said cell.

37. A method according to claim 28, wherein a logical value assigned to a cell is switched by the supplied electrical energy due to resistance heating changing the electrical conductivity of said functional medium.

38. A method according to claim 28, wherein a logical value assigned to a cell is switched irreversibly by effecting an irreversible change in the electrical conductivity of said functional medium.

39. A method according to claim 28, wherein a logical value assigned to a cell is switched irreversibly by effecting an irreversible change in the interface between said functional medium and either electrode.

40. A method according to claim 28, wherein fusible microcrystallites are added to an organic material of the functional medium, and a logical value is assigned to a logic cell switched irreversibly by effecting a melting of microcrystallites.

41. A method according to claim 28, wherein one of an organic material and a substance added to the organic material transfers from a crystalline phase to an amorphous phase or vice versa, and a logical value assigned to a cell is switched reversibly, the switching being caused by a transition between a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase or vice versa in said one of said organic material and in said substance added thereto.

42. A method according to claim 28, wherein an organic material of functional medium is a multistable conformation reactive organic material, and a logical value assigned to a cell is switched reversibly by generating an electric field in said cell.