Perspective: Organic electronic materials and devices for neuromorphic engineering

Neuromorphic computing and engineering has been the focus of intense research efforts that have been intensified recently by the mutation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In fact, new computing solutions and new hardware platforms are expected to emerge to answer to the new needs and challenges of our societies. In this revolution, lots of candidates technologies are explored and will require leveraging of the pro and cons. In this perspective paper belonging to the special issue on neuromorphic engineering of Journal of Applied Physics, we focus on the current achievements in the field of organic electronics and the potentialities and specificities of this research field. We highlight how unique material features available through organic materials can be used to engineer useful and promising bioinspired devices and circuits. We also discuss about the opportunities that organic electronic are offering for future research directions in the neuromorphic engineering field

Filamentary Switching: Synaptic Plasticity through Device Volatility

Replicating the computational functionalities and performances of the brain remains one of the biggest challenges for the future of information and communication technologies. Such an ambitious goal requires research efforts from the architecture level to the basic device level (i.e., investigating the opportunities offered by emerging nanotechnologies to build such systems). Nanodevices, or, more precisely, memory or memristive devices, have been proposed for the implementation of synaptic functions, offering the required features and integration in a single component. In this paper, we demonstrate that the basic physics involved in the filamentary switching of electrochemical metallization cells can reproduce important biological synaptic functions that are key mechanisms for information processing and storage. The transition from short- to long-term plasticity has been reported as a direct consequence of filament growth (i.e., increased conductance) in filamentary memory devices. In this paper, we show that a more complex filament shape, such as dendritic paths of variable density and width, can permit the short- and long-term processes to be controlled independently. Our solid-state device is strongly analogous to biological synapses, as indicated by the interpretation of the results from the framework of a phenomenological model developed for biological synapses. We describe a single memristive element containing a rich panel of features, which will be of benefit to future neuromorphic hardware systems

Evaluation of a gate capacitance in the sub-aF range for a chemical field-effect transistor with a silicon nanowire channel

An evaluation of the gate capacitance of a field-effect transitor (FET) whose channel length and width are several ten nanometer, is a key point for sensors applications. However, experimental and precise evaluation of capacitance in the aF range or less has been extremely difficult. Here, we report an extraction of the capacitance down to 0.55 aF for a silicon FET with a nanoscale wire channel whose width and length are 15 and 50 nm, respectively. The extraction can be achieved by using a combination of four kinds of measurements: current characteristics modulated by double gates, random-telegraph-signal noise induced by trapping and detrapping of a single electron, dielectric polarization noise, and current characteristics showing Coulomb blockade at low temperature. The extraction of such a small gate capacitance enables us to evaluate electron mobility in a nanoscale wire using a classical model of current characteristics of a FET.Comment: To be published in IEEE Trans. Nanotechno

Relaxation dynamics in covalently bonded organic monolayers on silicon

We study the dynamic electrical response of a silicon-molecular monolayer-metal junctions and we observe two contributions in the admittance spectroscopy data. These contributions are related to dipolar relaxation and molecular organization in the monolayer in one hand, and the presence of defects at the silicon/molecule interface in the other hand. We propose a small signal equivalent circuit suitable for the simulations of these molecular devices in commercial device simulators. Our results concern monolayers of alkyl chains considered as a model system but can be extended to other molecular monolayers. These results open door to a better control and optimization of molecular devices.Comment: 1 pdf file including text, figures and tables. Phys. Rev. B, in pres

Cation Discrimination in Organic Electrochemical Transistors by Dual Frequency Sensing

In this work, we propose a strategy to sense quantitatively and specifically cations, out of a single organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) device exposed to an electrolyte. From the systematic study of six different chloride salts over 12 different concentrations, we demonstrate that the impedance of the OECT device is governed by either the channel dedoping at low frequency and the electrolyte gate capacitive coupling at high frequency. Specific cationic signatures, which originates from the different impact of the cations behavior on the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) polymer and their conductivity in water, allow their discrimination at the same molar concentrations. Dynamic analysis of the device impedance at different frequencies could allow the identification of specific ionic flows which could be of a great use in bioelectronics to further interpret complex mechanisms in biological media such as in the brain.Comment: Full text and supporting informatio

1-octadecene monolayers on Si(111) hydrogen-terminated surfaces: effects of substrate doping

We have studied the electronic properties, in relation to their structural properties, of monolayers of 1-octadecene attached on a hydrogen-terminated (111) silicon surface. The molecules are attached using the free-radical reaction between C=C and Si-H activated by an ultraviolet illumination. We have compared the structural and electrical properties of monolayers formed on silicon substrate of different types (n-type and p-type) and different doping concentrations from low-doped (~1E14 cm-3) to highly doped (~1E19 cm-3) silicon substrates. We show that the monolayers on n-, p- and p+ silicon are densely packed and that they act as very good insulating films at a nanometer thickness with leakage currents as low as ~1E-7 A.cm-2 and high quality capacitance-voltage characteristics. The monolayers formed on n+-type silicon are more disordered and therefore exhibit larger leakage current densities (>1E-4 A.cm-2) when embedded in a silicon/monolayer/metal junction. The inferior structural and electronic properties obtained with n+-type silicon pinpoint the important role of surface potential and of the position of the surface Fermi level during the chemisorption of the organic monolayers.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures, to be published J. Appl. Phy

The Non-Ideal Organic Electrochemical Transistors Impedance

Organic electrochemical transistors offer powerful functionalities for biosensors and neuroinspired electronics, with still much to understand on the time dependent behavior of this electrochemical device. Here, we report on distributed element modeling of the impedance of such microfabricated device, systematically performed under a large concentration variation for KCl(aq) and CaCl2(aq). We propose a new model which takes into account three main deviations to ideality, that were systematically observed, caused by both the materials and the device complexity, over large frequency range (1 Hz to 1 MHz). More than introducing more freedom degree, the introduction of these non redundant parameters and the study of their behaviors as function of the electrolyte concentration and applied voltage give a more detailed picture of the OECT working principles. This optimized model can be further useful for improving OECT performances in many applications (e.g. biosensors, neuroinspired devices) and circuit simulations.Comment: Full paper with supporting informatio

An artificial spiking synapse made of molecules and nanoparticles

Molecule-based devices are envisioned to complement silicon devices by providing new functions or already existing functions at a simpler process level and at a lower cost by virtue of their self-organization capabilities, moreover, they are not bound to von Neuman architecture and this may open the way to other architectural paradigms. Here we demonstrate a device made of conjugated molecules and metal nanoparticles (NPs) which behaves as a spiking synapse suitable for integration in neural network architectures. We demonstrate that this device exhibits the main behavior of a biological synapse. These results open the way to rate coding utilization of the NOMFET in perceptron and Hopfield networks. We can also envision the NOMFET as a building block of neuroelectronics for interfacing neurons or neuronal logic devices made from patterned neuronal cultures with solid-state devices and circuits

Impact of dopant species on the interfacial trap density and mobility in amorphous In-X-Zn-O solution-processed thin-film transistors

Alloying of In/Zn oxides with various X atoms stabilizes the IXZO structures but generates electron traps in the compounds, degrading the electron mobility. To assess whether the latter is linked to the oxygen affinity or the ionic radius, of the X element, several IXZO samples are synthesized by the sol-gel process, with a large number (14) of X elements. The IXZOs are characterized by XPS, SIMS, DRX, and UV-spectroscopy and used for fabricating thin film transistors. Channel mobility and the interface defect density NST, extracted from the TFT electrical characteristics and low frequency noise, followed an increasing trend and the values of mobility and NST are linked by an exponential relation. The highest mobility (8.5 cm2/Vs) is obtained in In-Ga-Zn-O, and slightly lower value for Sb and Sn-doped IXZOs, with NST is about 2E12 cm2/eV, close to that of the In-Zn-O reference TFT. This is explained by a higher electronegativity of Ga, Sb, and Sn than Zn and In, their ionic radius values being close to that of In and Zn. Consequently, Ga, Sb, and Sn induce weaker perturbations of In-O and Zn-O sequences in the sol-gel process, than the X elements having lower electronegativity and different ionic radius. The TFTs with X = Ca, Al, Ni and Cu exhibited the lowest mobility and NST > 1E13 cm2/eV, most likely because of metallic or oxide clusters formation