Learning and Spatiotemporally Correlated Functions Mimicked in Oxide-Based Artificial Synaptic Transistors

TL;DR

This paper reports the development of oxide-based artificial synaptic transistors that mimic learning, memory, and spatiotemporal logic functions through protonic/electronic coupling, advancing neuromorphic computing.

Contribution

It introduces multi-terminal IZO-based synaptic transistors with protonic gating that replicate key brain functions and enable spatiotemporal logic without hard wiring.

Findings

Successfully mimicked spike-timing dependent plasticity.

Achieved short-term and long-term memory functions.

Demonstrated spatiotemporal correlated logic functions.

Abstract

Learning and logic are fundamental brain functions that make the individual to adapt to the environment, and such functions are established in human brain by modulating ionic fluxes in synapses. Nanoscale ionic/electronic devices with inherent synaptic functions are considered to be essential building blocks for artificial neural networks. Here, Multi-terminal IZO-based artificial synaptic transistors gated by fast proton-conducting phosphosilicate electrolytes are fabricated on glass substrates. Proton in the SiO2 electrolyte and IZO channel conductance are regarded as the neurotransmitter and synaptic weight, respectively. Spike-timing dependent plasticity, short-term memory and long-term memory were successfully mimicked in such protonic/electronic hybrid artificial synapses. And most importantly, spatiotemporally correlated logic functions are also mimicked in a simple artificial neural network without any intentional hard-wire connections due to the naturally proton-related coupling effect. The oxide-based protonic/electronic hybrid artificial synaptic transistors reported here are potential building blocks for artificial neural networks.