Effect of conductance linearity and multi-level cell characteristics of TaOx-based synapse device on pattern recognition accuracy of neuromorphic system.

To improve the classification accuracy of an image data set (CIFAR-10) by using analog input voltage, synapse devices with excellent conductance linearity (CL) and multi-level cell (MLC) characteristics are required. We analyze the CL and MLC characteristics of TaOx-based filamentary resistive random access memory (RRAM) to implement the synapse device in neural network hardware. Our findings show that the number of oxygen vacancies in the filament constriction region of the RRAM directly controls the CL and MLC characteristics. By adopting a Ta electrode (instead of Ti) and the hot-forming step, we could form a dense conductive filament. As a result, a wide range of conductance levels with CL is achieved and significantly improved image classification accuracy is confirmed.

Hardware implementation of associative memory characteristics with analogue-type resistive-switching device.

We have investigated the analogue memory characteristics of an oxide-based resistive-switching device under an electrical pulse to mimic biological spike-timing-dependent plasticity synapse characteristics. As a synaptic device, a TiN/Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3-based resistive-switching device exhibiting excellent analogue memory characteristics was used to control the synaptic weight by applying various pulse amplitudes and cycles. Furthermore, potentiation and depression characteristics with the same spikes can be achieved by applying negative and positive pulses, respectively. By adopting complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor devices as neurons and TiN/PCMO devices as synapses, we implemented neuromorphic hardware that mimics associative memory characteristics in real time for the first time. Owing to their excellent scalability, resistive-switching devices, shows promise for future high-density neuromorphic applications.

Structurally engineered stackable and scalable 3D titanium-oxide switching devices for high-density nanoscale memory.

A 3D high-density switching device is realized utilizing titanium oxide, which is the most optimum material, but which is not practically demonstrated yet. The 1S1R (one ReRAM with the developed switching device) exhibits memory characteristics with a significantly suppressed sneak current, which can be used to realize high-density ReRAM applications.