Short-circuit memory in electrochromic displays

We prove that direct matrix addressing of electrochromic displays is theoretically possible if an appropriate free-energy barrier for charge transfer across the electrode/electrolyte interface can be introduced. We derive the maximum short-circuit memory of such an electrochromic cell in terms of its intrinsic response time. For response times ∼10 msec and electrolyte breakdown voltages ∼2 V, the maximum memory is ∼20 min at room temperature. The number of lines that could be sequentially matrix addressed in an electrochromic display matrix, under these conditions, spans the range 10–105, which encompasses any practical size of display matrices.