Artificial neural networks (ANNs) based on synaptic devices, which can simultaneously perform processing and storage of data, have superior computing performance compared to conventional von Neumann architectures. Here, we present a ferroelectric coupled artificial synaptic device with reliable weight update and storage properties for ANNs. The artificial synaptic device, which is based on a ferroelectric polymer capacitively coupled with an oxide dielectric via an electric-field-permeable, semiconducting single-walled carbon-nanotube channel, is successfully fabricated by inkjet printing. By controlling the ferroelectric polarization, synaptic dynamics, such as excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents and long-term potentiation/depression characteristics, is successfully implemented in the artificial synaptic device. Furthermore, the constructed ANN, which is designed in consideration of the device-to-device variation within the synaptic array, efficiently executes the tasks of learning and recognition of the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology numerical patterns.
Keywords: MNIST; artificial neural network; carbon nanotube; synapse array; synaptic device.