MEMORY MATERIALS &
DISPLAY SYSTEMS
Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) are fundamental to modern
transportation and power generation. They convert chemical energy into
mechanical energy, powering a vast array of machines.
• What are ICEs?: Engines where fuel combustion occurs internally
• Primary Use: Cars, bikes, generators, small aircraft
• Introduction: Simplified for first-year engineering students
preencoded.png
What is a Memory Device?
Hardware used to store data (binary 1s & 0s)
in electronic devices (computers, phones).
• Basic Concepts:
o Semiconductor-based, fast, compact.
o Two electrodes + switching layer.
o Switches between High Resistance State
("0") and Low Resistance State ("1").
o Bistable materials boost capacity.
Electronic Memory – By Material Type
Transistor-Type:
Made from doped silicon (p-type, n-type
semiconductors).
Each transistor acts as an ON/OFF switch ("0" or "1").
Example: Computer memory chips.
Capacitor-Type:
Consists of two metal plates store charge.
Charged = "1", Discharged = "0".
Volatile (dielectric) vs. Non-volatile (ferroelectric -
FeRAM).
Resistor-Type (RRAM):
Simple Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) structure.
Switches between high ("0") and low ("1") resistance.
Charge Transfer Type:
Uses electron donor-acceptor (D-A) complexes.
Conductivity depends on D-A ionic binding.
preencoded.png
Electronic Memory - By Storage Type
Non-Volatile Memory (NVM): Retains data after power
removal.
ROM: Permanent, read-only (startup).
WORM: Write once, read many times (data integrity).
EPROM: UV-reprogrammable (limited).
Hybrid Memories: RAM-like read/write, ROM-like
retention.
Flash: Electrically erasable/reprogrammable.
EEPROM: Electrically erasable/writable (e.g., USB
drives).
Volatile Memory: Loses data when power is removed.
RAM: Short-term, read/changeable (working data).
DRAM: Uses capacitors.
SRAM: Holds data as long as powered (MOSFETs).
preencoded.png
Organic Memory Devices
Store data based on electrical conductivity
(ON/OFF).
Types:
Organic Molecular: Uses organic molecular
materials (e.g., Pentacene - p-type,
Perfluoropentacene - n-type).
Polymeric: Polymers (e.g., Polyimide with D-A
groups). High thermal stability, mechanical
strength.
Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials
Introduction to Display Systems
Definition: System conveying information visually.
Photoactive & Electroactive Organic Materials:
Organic semiconductors with π-electron systems.
Advantages: Lightweight, flexible, easy synthesis, low
cost, thin-film ready, tunable properties.
Processes: Photoactive (light absorption/emission,
charge generation/transport) & Electroactive (charge
injection/transport).
Optoelectronic: Combines both, exhibits non-linear
optics.
Organic Materials & Nanomaterials in Optoelectronics
Organic Materials: Compounds with conjugation
and π-electrons. Categories: Small Molecules,
Oligomers, Polymers.
Nanomaterials (Silicon Nanocrystals - SiNCs):
Dimensions < 100nm.
Special Properties: Wider band gap, higher
photoluminescence, high quantum yield, tunable
electronic structure.
Applications: Neuromorphic computing,
photovoltaics, solar cells, photodetectors
Key Organic Materials for Optoelectronics
• Light Absorbing: Polythiophenes (P3HT)
o (C10H14S)n, conjugated polymer, stable, p-type.
o Excellent light absorption, good charge transport.
o Applications: Photovoltaics, Li-batteries, organic solar
cells, smart windows, memory devices.
• Light Emitting: Poly[9-vinylcarbazole] (PVK)
o Hole conducting polymer, efficient hole transport.
o Applications: OLEDs, light harvesting, memory devices,
LEDs, laser printers, organic solar cells.
Liquid Crystals
• Definition: Intermediate state between solid
and liquid.
• Classification:
o Thermotropic (TLC): Behaviour changes
with temperature (e.g., Cholesteryl
Benzoate).
o Lyotropic: Behaviour changes with
concentration in solvent (e.g., soap water).
: Types of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals
• Nematic (NLC): Optically inactive, elongated
molecules parallel to a director.
• Chiral/Cholesteric (CLC): Optically active, molecules
spontaneously twist.
• Smectic (SLC): Positional and orientational order
(Smectic A, B, C).
• Columnar/Discotic (DLC): Orientational order,
molecules in hexagonal columns.
• Properties: Flow like liquid, elongated, rigid, less
orientational order, temperature-driven transitions.
preencoded.png
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
LCD Application
•
Principle:
o Two polarizers, mirrored surface,
thin LC film.
o No Voltage: LC molecules align,
light passes through, appears
silvery.
o Voltage Applied: LC alignment
changes, blocks light, segment
appears black.
• Applications: Watches,
calculators, phones, laptops,
medical instruments, meters.
Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
• Thin film organic layers between
electrodes.
• Convert electrical current to light.
• Electroluminescent using organic
molecules.
• Properties: Thin, flexible, high contrast,
fast response, wide viewing angle, energy
efficient (no backlight).
• Applications: Flat-panel TVs, digital
cameras, mobile phones.
preencoded.png
