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Xu M, Chen X, Guo Y, Wang Y, Qiu D, Du X, Cui Y, Wang X, Xiong J. Reconfigurable Neuromorphic Computing: Materials, Devices, and Integration. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2301063. [PMID: 37285592 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202301063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Neuromorphic computing has been attracting ever-increasing attention due to superior energy efficiency, with great promise to promote the next wave of artificial general intelligence in the post-Moore era. Current approaches are, however, broadly designed for stationary and unitary assignments, thus encountering reluctant interconnections, power consumption, and data-intensive computing in that domain. Reconfigurable neuromorphic computing, an on-demand paradigm inspired by the inherent programmability of brain, can maximally reallocate finite resources to perform the proliferation of reproducibly brain-inspired functions, highlighting a disruptive framework for bridging the gap between different primitives. Although relevant research has flourished in diverse materials and devices with novel mechanisms and architectures, a precise overview remains blank and urgently desirable. Herein, the recent strides along this pursuit are systematically reviewed from material, device, and integration perspectives. At the material and device level, one comprehensively conclude the dominant mechanisms for reconfigurability, categorized into ion migration, carrier migration, phase transition, spintronics, and photonics. Integration-level developments for reconfigurable neuromorphic computing are also exhibited. Finally, a perspective on the future challenges for reconfigurable neuromorphic computing is discussed, definitely expanding its horizon for scientific communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyi Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Xinrui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Yehao Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Yang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Dong Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Xinchuan Du
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Yi Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Xianfu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Jie Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
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Chen B, Wang X, Jiao F, Ning L, Huang J, Xie J, Zhang S, Li X, Rao F. Suppressing Structural Relaxation in Nanoscale Antimony to Enable Ultralow-Drift Phase-Change Memory Applications. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2301043. [PMID: 37377084 PMCID: PMC10477879 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Phase-change random-access memory (PCRAM) devices suffer from pronounced resistance drift originating from considerable structural relaxation of phase-change materials (PCMs), which hinders current developments of high-capacity memory and high-parallelism computing that both need reliable multibit programming. This work realizes that compositional simplification and geometrical miniaturization of traditional GeSbTe-like PCMs are feasible routes to suppress relaxation. While to date, the aging mechanisms of the simplest PCM, Sb, at nanoscale, have not yet been unveiled. Here, this work demonstrates that in an optimal thickness of only 4 nm, the thin Sb film can enable a precise multilevel programming with ultralow resistance drift coefficients, in a regime of ≈10-4 -10-3 . This advancement is mainly owed to the slightly changed Peierls distortion in Sb and the less-distorted octahedral-like atomic configurations across the Sb/SiO2 interfaces. This work highlights a new indispensable approach, interfacial regulation of nanoscale PCMs, for pursuing ultimately reliable resistance control in aggressively-miniaturized PCRAM devices, to boost the storage and computing efficiencies substantially.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Chen
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage MaterialsShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
| | - Xue‐Peng Wang
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage MaterialsShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated OptoelectronicsCollege of Electronic Science and EngineeringJilin UniversityChangchun130012China
| | - Fangying Jiao
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage MaterialsShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
| | - Long Ning
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage MaterialsShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
| | - Jiaen Huang
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage MaterialsShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
| | - Jiatao Xie
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage MaterialsShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
| | - Shengbai Zhang
- Department of PhysicsApplied Physics, and AstronomyRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroyNY12180USA
| | - Xian‐Bin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated OptoelectronicsCollege of Electronic Science and EngineeringJilin UniversityChangchun130012China
| | - Feng Rao
- College of Materials Science and EngineeringShenzhen Key Laboratory of New Information Display and Storage MaterialsShenzhen UniversityShenzhen518060China
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Bragaglia V, Jonnalagadda VP, Sousa M, Sarwat SG, Kersting B, Sebastian A. Structural Assessment of Interfaces in Projected Phase-Change Memory. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12101702. [PMID: 35630924 PMCID: PMC9147056 DOI: 10.3390/nano12101702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Non-volatile memories based on phase-change materials have gained ground for applications in analog in-memory computing. Nonetheless, non-idealities inherent to the material result in device resistance variations that impair the achievable numerical precision. Projected-type phase-change memory devices reduce these non-idealities. In a projected phase-change memory, the phase-change storage mechanism is decoupled from the information retrieval process by using projection of the phase-change material’s phase configuration onto a projection liner. It has been suggested that the interface resistance between the phase-change material and the projection liner is an important parameter that dictates the efficacy of the projection. In this work, we establish a metrology framework to assess and understand the relevant structural properties of the interfaces in thin films contained in projected memory devices. Using X-ray reflectivity, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, we investigate the quality of the interfaces and the layers’ properties. Using demonstrator examples of Sb and Sb2Te3 phase-change materials, new deposition routes as well as stack designs are proposed to enhance the phase-change material to a projection-liner interface and the robustness of material stacks in the devices.
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Antolini A, Franchi Scarselli E, Gnudi A, Carissimi M, Pasotti M, Romele P, Canegallo R. Characterization and Programming Algorithm of Phase Change Memory Cells for Analog In-Memory Computing. MATERIALS 2021; 14:ma14071624. [PMID: 33810489 PMCID: PMC8037667 DOI: 10.3390/ma14071624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, a thorough characterization of phase-change memory (PCM) cells was carried out, aimed at evaluating and optimizing their performance as enabling devices for analog in-memory computing (AIMC) applications. Exploiting the features of programming pulses, we discuss strategies to reduce undesired phenomena that afflict PCM cells and are particularly harmful in analog computations, such as low-frequency noise, time drift, and cell-to-cell variability of the conductance. The test vehicle is an embedded PCM (ePCM) provided by STMicroelectronics and designed in 90-nm smart power BCD technology with a Ge-rich Ge-Sb-Te (GST) alloy for automotive applications. On the basis of the results of the characterization of a large number of cells, we propose an iterative algorithm to allow multi-level cell conductance programming, and its performances for AIMC applications are discussed. Results for a group of 512 cells programmed with four different conductance levels are presented, showing an initial conductance spread under 6%, relative current noise less than 9% in most cases, and a relative conductance drift of 15% in the worst case after 14 h from the application of the programming sequence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Antolini
- Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering Department “Guglielmo Marconi”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, 40123 Bologna, Italy; (E.F.S.); (A.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Eleonora Franchi Scarselli
- Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering Department “Guglielmo Marconi”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, 40123 Bologna, Italy; (E.F.S.); (A.G.)
| | - Antonio Gnudi
- Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering Department “Guglielmo Marconi”, University of Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 2, 40123 Bologna, Italy; (E.F.S.); (A.G.)
| | - Marcella Carissimi
- STMicroelectronics, 20864 Agrate Brianza, Italy; (M.C.); (M.P.); (P.R.); (R.C.)
| | - Marco Pasotti
- STMicroelectronics, 20864 Agrate Brianza, Italy; (M.C.); (M.P.); (P.R.); (R.C.)
| | - Paolo Romele
- STMicroelectronics, 20864 Agrate Brianza, Italy; (M.C.); (M.P.); (P.R.); (R.C.)
| | - Roberto Canegallo
- STMicroelectronics, 20864 Agrate Brianza, Italy; (M.C.); (M.P.); (P.R.); (R.C.)
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