Logic with memory: and gates made of organic and inorganic memristive devices

TLDR

The authors realize memory‑enabled logic elements by fabricating two types of memristors—organic polyaniline/polyethylene oxide heterostructures and inorganic Pt/Al₂O₃/Ti heterostructures—characterized by cyclic voltage–current measurements and assembled into AND gates that retain memory. The inorganic AND gates exhibit rapid OFF/ON switching when both inputs are applied simultaneously, whereas the organic gates switch slowly with a gradual conductivity rise, indicating both device types are promising for neuromorphic computing that merges memory and processing.

Abstract

Logic elements endowed with memory are realized with two types of memristors: organic and inorganic ones. The organic devices are based on a polyaniline/polyethylene oxide heterostructure, while the inorganic ones are based on a Pt/Al2O3/Ti heterostructure. The memristors are characterized by measuring cyclic voltage–current characteristics. They are then used to make AND gates showing memory abilities, exhibiting different behaviors. In the case of the inorganic devices the OFF/ON transitions are very fast when two inputs are applied simultaneously, while they are slow, with a gradual increase of the conductivity, in the case of the organic devices. The two types of devices are suggested as logic elements for future neuromorphic computers combining memory and processing properties.