Multifunctional and Robust Optoelectronic Synapses Based on Metal Oxide/Metalcone Heterojunctions by Atomic/Molecular...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Neuroscience
• Computer Engineering

Background:

• Optoelectronic synaptic devices are crucial for mimicking biological visual systems and advancing neuromorphic computing.
• Current devices face challenges in efficiency and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop versatile optoelectronic synapses using SnO2/Ti-HQ heterojunctions.
• To investigate their synaptic behaviors, energy efficiency, stability, and potential applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SnO2/Ti-HQ heterojunctions using atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD).
• Characterization of synaptic behaviors including EPSC, PPF, STP-LTP transition, and learning-forgetting-relearning.
• Evaluation of energy consumption, air stability, and optical logic operations.

Main Results:

• The SnO2/Ti-HQ heterojunctions demonstrated enhanced optoelectronic response and relaxation time.
• Devices emulated diverse synaptic functions with extremely low energy consumption (~1.13 fJ/spike).
• Exceptional air stability (90% EPSC retention after 9 months) and wavelength-dependent optical logic operations were achieved.

Conclusions:

• ALD/MLD-enabled inorganic-organic hybrid heterojunctions offer a feasible route for artificial optoelectronic synapses.
• These devices show significant potential for energy-efficient neuromorphic computing and biomimetic visual systems.
• Demonstrated applications include optical logic, image preprocessing, and a proof-of-concept intelligent vehicle system.