Epitaxial Memristors: Preparing for The New Generation Devices

The search for devices that can emulate the behavior or neurons and synapses, in order to be used in brain-inspired, in-memory or on-edge computing, is extending among different research fields with an increasing number of materials scientists involved in the quest. However, the number of materials that have been considered as the key elements for these devices is restricted to the few that are compatible with CMOS integration. The need to process at low temperatures often produces polycrystalline or amorphous materials, limiting the control of the materials properties. Luckily, the emergent efforts towards epitaxial growth of complex oxides by ALD at low temperatures[1] allows us to dream of a future of epitaxial oxide microelectronics for which we want to be prepared. In this talk, we will show an example of epitaxial material that show interesting neuromorphic features, namely, self-oscillating behavior and generation of voltage spikes in epitaxial TbMnO₃, a material that does not undergo a meta-insulator transition, and can be used as a compact neuristor[2].<br/><br/>1. H. H. Sonsteby et al. <i>Nature. Comm.</i> 11, 2872 (2020)<br/>2- M. Salverda et al. <i>J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys.</i> <b>55</b> 335305 (2022)