COPE Seminar Series - Dr. Eric Vogel

“Low-Temperature Processed Materials for Neuromorphic Circuits”

Neuromorphic spiking networks and associated highly parallel architectures have been the object of much interest in recent years. These systems are expected to complement binary CMOS architectures in applications where substantial amounts of imprecise information have to be processed. Some of the applications where neuromorphic systems could outperform binary architectures include adaptive learning, pattern classification, and outcome prediction. Complex neuromorphic circuits using nanocrystalline-silicon (nc-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs) and memristive (resistive switch) devices have been fabricated, modeled and simulated. Complex synaptic and learning behavior has been demonstrated as a natural outcome of using these specific devices. The low-temperature fabrication processes employed have several important potential consequences. First, the fabrication processes are consistent with the use of glass or flexible substrates. The neuromorphic architecture may provide for information processing that is more efficient than that expected for conventional TFT circuitry. Second, the fabrication processes are compatible with a CMOS process, which facilitates 3-D applications where the neuromorphic circuitry is integrated with a CMOS core. Finally, the results demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating a 3-D system with physical structure similar to the human neocortex.

About Professor Vogel

Eric M. Vogel is currently Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT). Prior to joining GIT in August 2011, he was Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) where he was also Associate Director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence and led UTD’s portion of the Southwest Academy for Nanoelectronics. Prior to joining UTD in August of 2006, he was leader of the CMOS and Novel Devices Group and founded the Nanofab at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He received the Ph. D. degree in 1998 in electrical engineering from North Carolina State University and the B. S. degree in 1994 in electrical engineering from Penn State University. Dr. Vogel’s research interests relate to devices and materials for future electronics including advanced MOS devices and materials and nanoelectronic devices. He has published over 110 publications, written 4 book chapters and given over 50 invited talks and tutorials.