Ferroelectric-based synapses and neurons for neuromorphic computing

TLDR

Distributed edge computing demands power‑efficient, low‑area, fast, online‑learning systems, but conventional CMOS‑based spiking neural networks fall short, prompting exploration of emerging memristive technologies. This review focuses on ferroelectric technology and its potential to emulate neural and synaptic behaviors efficiently. We examine how ferroelectric devices can emulate neural and synaptic functions while maintaining low area and power consumption. Ferroelectric devices, with CMOS‑compatible fabrication and extreme energy efficiency, are emerging as a leading technology for neuromorphic computing.

Abstract

Abstract The shift towards a distributed computing paradigm, where multiple systems acquire and elaborate data in real-time, leads to challenges that must be met. In particular, it is becoming increasingly essential to compute on the edge of the network, close to the sensor collecting data. The requirements of a system operating on the edge are very tight: power efficiency, low area occupation, fast response times, and on-line learning. Brain-inspired architectures such as spiking neural networks (SNNs) use artificial neurons and synapses that simultaneously perform low-latency computation and internal-state storage with very low power consumption. Still, they mainly rely on standard complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technologies, making SNNs unfit to meet the aforementioned constraints. Recently, emerging technologies such as memristive devices have been investigated to flank CMOS technology and overcome edge computing systems’ power and memory constraints. In this review, we will focus on ferroelectric technology. Thanks to its CMOS-compatible fabrication process and extreme energy efficiency, ferroelectric devices are rapidly affirming themselves as one of the most promising technologies for neuromorphic computing. Therefore, we will discuss their role in emulating neural and synaptic behaviors in an area and power-efficient way.