Partial switching of ferroelectrics for synaptic weight storage

Abstract

Gokmen and Vlasov proposed that the training of deep neural networks would be dramatically accelerated by the realization of resistive processing units that can store analog weights to minimize data movement during training [1]. Here we measure and evaluate the partial switching of the ferroelectric (FE) PbZrTiO3 (PZT) and, for the first time, Hf0 8Zr0 2O2, (HZO), formed by atomic layer deposition, for use as a nonvolatile analog memory element. The spontaneous polarization P of a FE can be switched by applying a voltage that exceeds the coercive voltage for switching of the FE. This polarization, when fully switched, can have a value of +P or −P (C/cm2), depending on the polarity of the applied voltage. Ferroelectric memory is typically operated in fully switched +P or −P polarizations, however with short (< 10 μs) pulsed voltages, the FE can be partially switched, i.e. only a fraction of the domains are switched during the pulse duration as shown by Tokumitsu in PZT [2] and indicated in Fig. 1.