Imec and KU Leuven together with PragmatIC are demonstrating a fast flexible 8-bit microprocessor ideal for budget applications such as sensors.
KU Leuven and Imec together with PragmatIC Semiconductor present a groundbreaking 8-bit microprocessor. The chip is built on 0.8 µm metal oxide technology and is flexible. The technology is preferred to the classical silicon process because the result is not rigid. Such microchips are already gaining importance for sensors on stickers for health applications, RFID labels and drivers for thin screens, among others.
Technical masterpiece
The demonstration by Imec and the university is significant because it involves more computing power. Working with PragmatIC Semiconductor, the partners were able to place about 16,000 metal oxide thin-film transistors on a 24.9 mm² chip. This allows the chip to perform more complex computational work. Note that the processor does not play in the same category as modern silicon chips. The gate length of the transistors on the chip is just less than a micrometer by 800 nm. Modern processors are around 10 nm.
The chip uses indium-gallium-zinc-oxide for the transistors and has a clock speed of 71.4 kHz. Power consumption remains very low with 11.6 mW at 10 kHZ frequencies and 134.9 mW at top speed.
Imec and KU Leuven developed the chip in collaboration with England’s PragmatIC. That has a unique factory on which the researchers could quickly build prototypes of the flexible chips. The fab is able to manufacture the flexible chips in large volume at low cost, which is essential for the intended applications. Earlier, PragmatIC worked with Arm to build a plastic-based flexible chip.