Strategy to improve synaptic behavior of ion-actuated synaptic transistors—the use of ion blocking layer to improve state retention

Synaptic transistors (STs) with a gate/electrolyte/channel stack, where mobile ions are electrically driven across the solid electrolyte, have been considered as analog weight elements for neuromorphic computing. The current (I_D) between the source and drain in the ST is analogously updated by gate voltage (V_G) pulses, enabling high pattern recognition accuracy in neuromorphic systems; however, the governing physical mechanisms of the ST are not fully understood yet. Our previous physics-based simulation study showed that ion movement in the electrolyte, rather than the electrochemical reactions that occur in the channel, plays an important role in switching. In this study, we experimentally explore the properties of the HfO_x electrolyte and show that by tuning the density of oxygen vacancies, it can assume the dual role of electrolyte and channel. We demonstrate analog synaptic behavior using a novel ST with a two-layer stack of CuO_x/HfO_x, where the CuO_x is the gate and Cu ion reservoir, and the HfO_x is the electrolyte and channel. To improve state retention and linearity, we introduce a Cu ion transport barrier in the form of a dense and stoichiometric Al₂O₃ layer. The CuO_x/Al₂O₃/HfO_x exhibits excellent state retention and improved potentiation and depression response. Energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping following potentiation confirms the role of the Al₂O₃ layer in confining the Cu ions in the HfO_x layer. We also show that a two-step programming scheme can further enhance synaptic response and demonstrate high recognition accuracy on the Fashion-MNIST dataset in simulation.