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Hf0.5Zr0.5O2-based ferroelectric memristor with multilevel storage potential and artificial synaptic plasticity

Hf0.5 Zr0.5 O2 基铁电忆阻器的多级存储潜力以及人 工突触可塑性

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Abstract

Memristors are designed to mimic the brain’s integrated functions of storage and computing, thus breaking through the von Neumann framework. However, the formation and breaking of the conductive filament inside a conventional memristor is unstable, which makes it difficult to realistically mimic the function of a biological synapse. This problem has become a main factor that hinders memristor applications. The ferroelectric memristor overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional memristor because its resistance variation depends on the polarization direction of the ferroelectric thin film. In this work, an Au/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/p+-Si ferroelectric memristor is proposed, which is capable of achieving resistive switching characteristics. In particular, the proposed device realizes the stable characteristics of multilevel storage, which possesses the potential to be applied to multi-level storage. Through polarization, the resistance of the proposed memristor can be gradually modulated by flipping the ferroelectric domains. Additionally, a plurality of resistance states can be obtained in bidirectional continuous reversibility, which is similar to the changes in synaptic weights. Furthermore, the proposed memristor is able to successfully mimic biological synaptic functions such as long-term depression, long-term potentiation, paired-pulse facilitation, and spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Consequently, it constitutes a promising candidate for a breakthrough in the von Neumann framework.

摘要

忆阻器能够模拟人脑兼具存储和计算的功能, 从而突破 冯·诺依曼框架. 然而, 传统忆阻器内部导电细丝的形成和断裂是不 稳定的, 因此难以真实地模仿生物突触的功能, 这个问题已成为阻 碍忆阻器模拟神经突触应用的主要因素. 铁电忆阻器克服了传统 忆阻器的缺点, 因为它的电阻变化取决于铁电薄膜的极化翻转. 本 工作中, 我们提出了一种具有Au/Hf0.5Zr0.5O2/p+-Si结构的铁电忆阻 器, 能够实现电阻开关特性. 重要的是, 该器件能够实现多级存储的 稳定特性, 具有应用于多级存储的潜力. 同时通过调控铁电极化, 忆 阻器的电阻可由铁电畴的翻转来逐步调节. 同时, 我们可以获取具 有双向连续可逆性的多个电阻状态, 这类似于神经突触权重的变 化. 我们还成功模拟了生物学突触功能, 例如长期抑制, 长期促进, 双脉冲易化和尖峰时间依赖可塑性. 因此, 该器件是一种有希望突 破冯·诺依曼框架的候选者.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (61674050 and 61874158), the Outstanding Youth Project of Hebei Province (F2016201220), the Outstanding Youth Cultivation Project of Hebei University (2015JQY01), the Project of Science and Technology Activities for Overseas Researcher (CL 201602), the Project of Distinguished Young of Hebei Province (A2018201231), the Support Program for the Top Young Talents of Hebei Province (70280011807), the Training and Introduction of High-level Innovative Talents of Hebei University (801260201300), the Hundred Persons Plan of Hebei Province (E2018050004 and E2018050003), and the Supporting Plan for 100 Excellent Innovative Talents in Colleges and Universities of Hebei Province (SLRC2019018)

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Brain-like Neuromorphic Devices and Systems of Hebei Province, College of Electronic Information Engineering, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China

    Tianqi Yu  (于天奇), Jianhui Zhao  (赵建辉), Zhenyu Zhou  (周振宇) & Xiaobing Yan  (闫小兵)

  2. School of Microelectronics, Xidian University, Xi’an, 710071, China

    Fuchao He  (何付超) & Jingjing Chang  (常晶晶)

  3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117576, Singapore

    Jingsheng Chen  (陈景升) & Xiaobing Yan  (闫小兵)

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  1. Tianqi Yu  (于天奇)
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  2. Fuchao He  (何付超)
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Contributions

Yan X conceived the idea and revised the paper. Yu T fabricated the samples, finished the test data and prepared the manuscript. Chang J and Chen J coordinated this study. This article was discussed with contributions from all authors. All authors have approved the final version of this article.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jingjing Chang  (常晶晶), Jingsheng Chen  (陈景升) or Xiaobing Yan  (闫小兵).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Supplementary information

Experimental details are available in the online version of the paper.

Xiaobing Yan is currently a professor at the College of Electronic Information Engineering, Hebei University. He received his PhD degree from Nanjing University in 2011. From 2014 to 2016, he held the Research Fellow position at the National University of Singapore. His current research interest is in the field of memristors.

Tianqi Yu received a bachelor’s degree from Henan University of Science and Technology in 2018. He is a graduate student at the College of Electronic Information Engineering, Hebei University. His current research focuses on ferroelectric materials for memristor applications.

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40843_2020_1444_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Ferroelectric memristor based on Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 has potential of multi-level storage and characteristic of artificial synaptic plasticity

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Yu, T., He, F., Zhao, J. et al. Hf0.5Zr0.5O2-based ferroelectric memristor with multilevel storage potential and artificial synaptic plasticity. Sci. China Mater. 64, 727–738 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-020-1444-1

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