Highly Reliable Electronic Synapse Based on Au@Al2O3 Core-Shell Nanoparticles for Neuromorphic Applications

Abstract

Simulating synaptic function and building brain-inspired computers have received widespread attention. The memristor is considered to be an electronic version of the synapse and an excellent element for creating a brand-new artificial intelligence system in the future. However, most memristor-based electronic synapses currently exhibit low stability due to complex resistance switching processes. Based on a controllable in-situ formation strategy that we were able to employ with atomic layer deposition, we fabricated electronic synapses based on Au@Al2O3 core-shell nanoparticles. Our device exhibited extremely reliable, stable, and durable performance and showed a capability to emulate biological synaptic behavior, including synaptic plasticity, long-term depression (LTD), long-term potentiation (LTP), amplitude dependence, and frequency dependence. This research provides a strategy for manufacturing highly-reliable electronic synapses for neuromorphic applications.