Thermally sensitive state change ionic redox transistor
| DWPI Title: Device for analog neuromorphic computing, has electrolyte layer whose conductivity is increased with respect to ions or vacancies present in channel layer or reservoir layer, and temperature of device is below state transition temperature and read voltage is applied between source and drain |
| Abstract: A thermally sensitive ionic redox transistor comprises a channel, a reservoir layer, and an electrolyte layer disposed between the channel and the reservoir layer. A conductance of the channel is varied by changing concentration of ions in the channel layer. The electrolyte layer is configured to undergo a state change at a state transition temperature. Below the state transition temperature, ions in the electrolyte layer are substantially immobile. Above the state transition temperature, ions can move freely between the reservoir layer and the channel across the electrolyte layer in response to a voltage being applied between the channel and the reservoir layer. When the device is cooled below the state transition temperature or temperature range, the ions are trapped in one or more of the layers because the electrolyte layer loses its ionic conductivity. A state of the redox transistor can be read by measuring the conductance of the channel. |
| Use: Thermally sensitive ionic redox transistor for use in an analog memory device (claimed) of a neuromorphic computing, and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) based devices such as cell phones, tablet computing devices, and personal computers have operating temperatures ranging from room temperature. |
| Advantage: The low ionic conductance in the electrolyte layer when the device is below the state transition temperature also prevents information loss of the transistor when the reservoir layer and the channel layer are electrically shorted, by shorting the gate contact with either of the source or the drain contacts. |
| Novelty: Device comprises a solid channel layer (102) having a variable conductance, a source coupled to a first side of the solid channel layer, a drain coupled to a second side of the solid channel layer, a solid reservoir layer (104), an electrolyte layer (106) positioned between the channel layer and the reservoir layer, when a write operation is undertaken on the device. The device is heated to a temperature above a state transition temperature and a write voltage is applied between the channel layer and the reservoir layer, conductivity of the electrolyte layer is increased with respect to ions or vacancies present in the channel layer or the reservoir layer, conductance of the channel layer changes responsive to the ions or vacancies migrating between the reservoir layer and the channel layer, and a temperature of the device is below the state transition temperature and a read voltage is applied between the source and the drain. |
| Filed: 7/13/2021 |
| Application Number: US17374029A |
| Tech ID: SD 15588.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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