Jetsetting memories

Researchers from the Jeju National University in Korea have proposed a method for depositing titanium dioxide (TiO₂) films onto flexible polymer substrates. The method, known as electrohydrodynamic printing, has been used in other printed circuit technology, and the group have used the technique´s advantages to improve the manufacture of flexible memory devices. Titanium dioxide was the compound used to manufacture the first solid-state memristor device in 2008, and this technology is advancing rapidly, with commercial devices expected within the next few years. Memristor based memory is known as non-volatile storage, as the memory elements maintain their state even in the absence of power, which has obvious advantages for efficiency, cost and environmental concerns. While memristors have clear uses for standard solid-state storage, when combined with flexible substrates they can also be applied to other thin-film technology, such as solar cells, keypads and displays.