Non-volatile Multi-level Switching in Artificial Synaptic Transistors Based on Epitaxial LiCoO2 Thin Films

Published

October 26, 2021

Author(s)

Heshan Yu, Megan E. Holtz, Yunhui Gong, Justin Pearson, Yaoyu Ren, Andrew Herzing, Xiaohang Zhang, Ichiro Takeuchi

Abstract

Li-ion synaptic transistors offer non-volatile multi-level switching through Li-ion exchange between channel and electrolyte, and thus are widely regarded as promising candidates for the neuromorphic computing. However, a relatively low switching speed in devices fabricated on polycrystalline films still greatly limits the application scope of these devices. To optimize the device performance, improving the crystallinity of the channels is a direction being actively pursued. In this study, we systematically investigate of the multi-switching operation in the Li-ion synaptic devices fabricated on epitaxial Li1-xCoO2 (LCO) thin films with different orientations. Programming these devices with a series of presynaptic pulses, non- volatile potentiation and depression states are established and confirmed to be stable for a period at least three times of the pulse duration. By reducing the thickness of the LCO channel, the signal-to-noise ratio of the non-volatile switching can be substantially improved. Changes in the potentiation and depression states are found to significantly depend on the lattice orientation of the LCO channel, suggesting that an anisotropic Li-ion diffusion rate in highly-crystallized LCO films plays an important role in the device performance.

Citation

Physical Review Materials

Volume

5

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.5.115401

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Keywords

Neuromorphic computing, electronic device, battery, thin film, pulsed laser deposition, scanning transmission electron microscopy

Citation

Yu, H. , Holtz, M. , Gong, Y. , Pearson, J. , Ren, Y. , Herzing, A. , Zhang, X. and Takeuchi, I. (2021), Non-volatile Multi-level Switching in Artificial Synaptic Transistors Based on Epitaxial LiCoO2 Thin Films, Physical Review Materials, [online], https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.5.115401, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=931738 (Accessed October 20, 2025)