S. Korean scientists succeed in weaving thread-like memory material

By Park Sae-jin Posted : March 27, 2017, 10:14 Updated : March 27, 2017, 10:14

[Iclickart]


South Korean scientists have developed a memory material which can be weaved like fabric. The new material does not need electricity to keep its data intact, making it an ideal material for wearable devices and smart clothing.

The research was led by Lee Mi-jung, a professor at Kookmin University's School of Advanced Materials Engineering, and Hwang Cheol-seong, a professor at Seoul National University's School of Electronic Materials. They claimed to have succeeded in creating a resistive random-access memory (RRAM) weaved in a form of a fabric.

RRAM is a type of non-volatile random-access computer memory (RAM), widely used as data storage units. It is made of carbon fiber and ultra-thin threads coated with aluminum.  Known also as memory resistor, it becomes a conductor when an electric current flows through it. With no current, the solid-state material becomes an insulator, memorizing data.

The research team weaved RRAM into a form of double-layered fabric, allowing it to maintain the characteristics of a conductor and an insulator at the same time.

The new RRAM can be used for any kind of clothing by applying a thin layer of the memory resistor on to it and function normally when washed in a washing machine. It's easy to manufacture, not requiring complicated machines or expensive chip-making facilities.

Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com

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