Neural Synaptic Simulation Based on ZnAlSnO Thin-Film Transistors

In the era of artificial intelligence, neuromorphic devices that simulate brain functions have received increasingly widespread attention. In this paper, an artificial neural synapse device based on ZnAlSnO thin-film transistors was fabricated, and its electrical properties were tested: the current-switching ratio was 1.18 × 107, the subthreshold oscillation was 1.48 V/decade, the mobility was 2.51 cm2V−1s−1, and the threshold voltage was −9.40 V. Stimulating artificial synaptic devices with optical signals has the advantages of fast response speed and good anti-interference ability. The basic biological synaptic characteristics of the devices were tested under 365 nm light stimulation, including excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC), paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), short-term plasticity (STP), and long-term plasticity (LTP). This device shows good synaptic plasticity. In addition, by changing the gate voltage, the excitatory postsynaptic current of the device at different gate voltages was tested, two different logical operations of “AND” and “OR” were achieved, and the influence of different synaptic states on memory was simulated. This work verifies the application potential of the device in the integrated memory and computing architecture, which is of great significance for promoting the high-quality development of neuromorphic computing hardware.