Thinfilm Files Patent for Printable Protection for Memory Devices

Thin Film Electronics ASA (Thinfilm) announced that it has developed and is patenting a low-cost printable protection for ferroelectric memory products. The protection safeguards nanoscale structures from mechanical stress, including shear forces, ensuring printed memory products meet customer requirements for durability while being highly cost efficient.

The low-cost printable protection is currently used in two Thinfilm Memory products: The 20-bit single-line Thinfilm Memory for consumer applications such as toys, games and info-kiosks, and the bit-scalable Thinfilm Passive Array Memory, delivered as engineering samples earlier this year. Thinfilm’s novel printed protection layer is also expected to be applicable to other sub-micron-thickness functional components.

Printable protection differs significantly from the conventional approach of protecting printed devices, which seals them using foil or a protective sheet. In the new Thinfilm approach, stress- and scratch-resistant films are printed on top of the memory during the manufacturing process, making the patent-pending technique particularly suitable for high-volume production.

The patent application for the low-cost printable protection has been submitted to the Swedish Patent and Registration Office, as well as to the World Intellectual Property Organization under the terms of the international Patent Cooperation Treaty.

“Our customers require durable protection against scratching, abrasion and ordinary handling, and because of its use in cost-sensitive applications, the memory must also very be affordable. The new printable protection is a key factor in enabling the production of printed devices that meet both needs,” said Dr. Christer Karlsson, CTO of Thinfilm.

The protection technology will be presented for the first time during LOPE-C in Munich, Germany on June 21, 2012, by Dr. Jakob Nilsson, team manager memory products.