Issue 6, 2019

A bio-inspired electronic synapse using solution processable organic small molecule

Abstract

Mimicking biological synapses with resistive random switching memory (RRAM) can lay a concrete foundation for the future of artificial intelligence. RRAMs based on low-cost and solution-processed organic materials provide a competitive approach. Here, we report an artificial synaptic device with a solution-processed small molecule (bis-4-(N-carbazolyl)phenyl)phenylphosphine oxide (BCPO) based RRAM. The BCPO-based RRAM exhibits reproducible resistive switching behavior, a long retention time as well as good thermal tolerance with a sufficient on/off current ratio. In situ Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) and density function theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that both the redox state and the trap-filled space charge limited current (SCLC) determine the resistive switching of a BCPO-based RRAM. Furthermore, the fabricated device was employed to emulate a biological synapse in which several synaptic functions, including spike-rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP), a transition from short-term plasticity (STP) to long-term plasticity (LTP) and spike-time-dependent plasticity (STDP), were realized. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first successful demonstration of solution-processed small molecules in artificial synaptic devices. The BCPO layer is solution-processed at low temperature which is compatible with a flexible substrate and printable electronics. We believe this electronic synapse will have a wide range of applications in future neuromorphic computing.

Graphical abstract: A bio-inspired electronic synapse using solution processable organic small molecule

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Nov. 2018
Accepted
20 Dec. 2018
First published
21 Dec. 2018

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2019,7, 1491-1501

A bio-inspired electronic synapse using solution processable organic small molecule

J. Mao, L. Zhou, Y. Ren, J. Yang, C. Chang, H. Lin, H. Chou, S. Zhang, Y. Zhou and S. Han, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2019, 7, 1491 DOI: 10.1039/C8TC05489D

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