title: A thin-film microprocessor with inkjet print-programmable memory.
abstract: The Internet of Things is driving extensive efforts to develop intelligent everyday objects. This requires seamless integration of relatively simple electronics, for example through 'stick-on' electronics labels. We believe the future evolution of this technology will be governed by Wright's Law, which was first proposed in 1936 and states that the cost of a product decreases with cumulative production. This implies that a generic electronic device that can be tailored for application-specific requirements during downstream integration would be a cornerstone in the development of the Internet of Things. We present an 8-bit thin-film microprocessor with a write-once, read-many (WORM) instruction generator that can be programmed after manufacture via inkjet printing. The processor combines organic p-type and soluble oxide n-type thin-film transistors in a new flavor of the familiar complementary transistor technology with the potential to be manufactured on a very thin polyimide film, enabling low-cost flexible electronics. It operates at 6.5 V and reaches clock frequencies up to 2.1 kHz. An instruction set of 16 code lines, each line providing a 9 bit instruction, is defined by means of inkjet printing of conductive silver inks.
authors.affiliation: imec, Kapeldreef 75, B3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Myny
authors.affiliation: imec, Kapeldreef 75, B3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smout
authors.affiliation: 1] imec, Kapeldreef 75, B3001 Leuven, Belgium [2] KULeuven, ESAT department, Kasteelplein 10, B3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rockelé
authors.affiliation: 1] imec, Kapeldreef 75, B3001 Leuven, Belgium [2] KULeuven, ESAT department, Kasteelplein 10, B3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ajay
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhoolokam
authors.affiliation: imec, Kapeldreef 75, B3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Tung Huei
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: imec, Kapeldreef 75, B3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Soeren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steudel
authors.affiliation: Holst Centre/TNO, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.affiliation: Holst Centre/TNO, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aashini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gulati
authors.affiliation: Holst Centre/TNO, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gonzalez Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Panasonic, 3-1-1 Yagumo-naka-machi, Moriguchi city, Osaka 570-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Obata
authors.affiliation: Evonik Industries AG, 45772 Marl, Germany.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marinkovic
authors.affiliation: Evonik Industries AG, 45772 Marl, Germany.
authors.forename: Duy-Vu
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.affiliation: Evonik Industries AG, 45772 Marl, Germany.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoppe
authors.affiliation: Holst Centre/TNO, High Tech Campus 31, 5656 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerwin H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Gelinck
authors.affiliation: 1] imec, Kapeldreef 75, B3001 Leuven, Belgium [2] KULeuven, ESAT department, Kasteelplein 10, B3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Genoe
authors.affiliation: 1] imec, Kapeldreef 75, B3001 Leuven, Belgium [2] KULeuven, ESAT department, Kasteelplein 10, B3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dehaene
authors.affiliation: 1] imec, Kapeldreef 75, B3001 Leuven, Belgium [2] KULeuven, ESAT department, Kasteelplein 10, B3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heremans