Artificial Synapse Emulated by Indium Tin Oxide/SiN/TaN Resistive Switching Device for Neuromorphic System

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2023 Sep 1;13(17):2477. doi: 10.3390/nano13172477.

Abstract

In this paper, we fabricate an ITO/SiN/TaN memristor device and analyze its electrical characteristics for a neuromorphic system. The device structure and chemical properties are investigated using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Uniform bipolar switching is achieved through DC sweep under a compliance current of 5 mA. Also, the analog reset phenomenon is observed by modulating the reset voltage for long-term memory. Additionally, short-term memory characteristics are obtained by controlling the strength of the pulse response. Finally, bio-inspired synaptic characteristics are emulated using Hebbian learning rules such as spike-rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP) and spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). As a result, we believe that the coexistence of short-term and long-term memories in the ITO/SiN/TaN device can provide flexibility in device design in future neuromorphic applications.

Keywords: Hebbian learning rules; neuromorphic system; resistive switching; short-term memory; synaptic plasticity.