Implementation of Short-Term Plasticity and Long-Term Potentiation in a Synapse Using Si-Based Type of Charge-Trap Memory

Author

Myoung-Sun Lee ; Ju-Wan Lee ; Change-Hee Kim ; Byung-Gook Park ; Jong-Ho Lee

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Seoul Nat. Univ., Seoul, South Korea

Volume

62

Issue

2

fYear

2015

fDate

Feb. 2015

Firstpage

569

Lastpage

573

Abstract

We present a novel silicon-based type of charge-trap memory using Al/HfO₂/Al₂O₃/Si₃N₄/Si structure mimicking memory functions in a biological synapse. The quantity of the trapped charge in the proposed Al₂O₃/HfO₂/Si₃N₄ stack is estimated by measuring the capacitance over time, which can be regarded as synaptic weight changes. By applying repeated voltage pulses at periodic intervals of different times, reliable short-term plasticity and long-term potentiation properties are obtained along with their transition behavior. This architecture is compatible with the CMOS process and shows great promise as an essential part for the implementation of an electrical neuromorphic system.

Keywords

CMOS integrated circuits; aluminium; aluminium compounds; hafnium compounds; integrated memory circuits; plasticity; silicon; silicon compounds; Al-HfO₂-Al₂O₃-Si₃N₄-Si; CMOS process; Si-based type charge trap memory; biological synapse; electrical neuromorphic system; long term potentiation; memory functions; periodic intervals; repeated voltage pulse; short term plasticity; synaptic weight changes; Capacitance; Educational institutions; Hafnium compounds; Logic gates; Silicon; Temperature measurement; Time measurement; Al₂O₃/HfO₂/Si₃N₄ (A/H/N); Al2O3/HfO2/Si3N4 (A/H/N); long-term potentiation (LTP); neuromorphic system; short-term plasticity (STP); synapse; synapse.;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9383

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TED.2014.2378758

Filename

7001215