A memristor is a two-terminal electronic device whose conductance can be precisely modulated by charge or flux through it. Here we experimentally demonstrate a nanoscale silicon-based memristor device and show that a hybrid system composed of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor neurons and memristor synapses can support important synaptic functions such as spike timing dependent plasticity. Using memristors as synapses in neuromorphic circuits can potentially offer both high connectivity and high density required for efficient computing.

"Memory" is an essential building block in learning and decision-making in biological systems. Unlike modern semiconductor memory devices, needless to say, human memory is by no means eternal. Yet, forgetfulness is not always a disadvantage since it releases memory storage for more important or more frequently accessed pieces of information and is thought to be necessary for individuals to adapt to new environments. Eventually, only memories that are of significance are transformed from short-term memory into long-term memory through repeated stimulation. In this study, we show experimentally that the retention loss in a nanoscale memristor device bears striking resemblance to memory loss in biological systems. By stimulating the memristor with repeated voltage pulses, we observe an effect analogous to memory transition in biological systems with much improved retention time accompanied by additional structural changes in the memristor. We verify that not only the shape or the total number of stimuli is influential, but also the time interval between stimulation pulses (i.e., the stimulation rate) plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of the transition. The memory enhancement and transition of the memristor device was explained from the microscopic picture of impurity redistribution and can be qualitatively described by the same equations governing biological memories.

We demonstrate large-scale (1 kb) high-density crossbar arrays using a Si-based memristive system. A two-terminal hysteretic resistive switch (memristive device) is formed at each crosspoint of the array and can be addressed with high yield and ON/OFF ratio. The crossbar array can be implemented as either a resistive random-access-memory (RRAM) or a write-once type memory depending on the device configuration. The demonstration of large-scale crossbar arrays with excellent reproducibility and reliability also facilitates further studies on hybrid nano/CMOS systems.

No abstract

We report studies on a nanoscale resistance switching memory structure based on planar silicon that is fully compatible with CMOS technology in terms of both materials and processing techniques employed. These two-terminal resistance switching devices show excellent scaling potential well beyond 10 Gb/cm2 and exhibit high yield (99%), fast programming speed (5 ns), high on/off ratio (10(3)), long endurance (10(6)), retention time (5 months), and multibit capability. These key performance metrics compare favorably with other emerging nonvolatile memory techniques. Furthermore, both diode-like (rectifying) and resistor-like (nonrectifying) behaviors can be obtained in the device switching characteristics in a controlled fashion. These results suggest that the CMOS compatible, nanoscale Si-based resistance switching devices may be well suited for ultrahigh-density memory applications.