Development of New Materials for Optically Programmable and Re-Programmable Printable Memristors for Neuromorphic Computing

印刷电子（即使用添加剂制造电子设备和电路的技术，低温印刷工艺）承诺低成本，按需电子电路制造，在新的形状因素（例如，在柔性或保形基板上）使用生物兼容组件，在大范围内。最有希望的商业机会是智能传感器，智能标签和可穿戴设备，其中智能处理嵌入到设备中。这些系统的交付需要低功耗、低成本和低组件计数的模拟计算，并结合深度学习算法，这导致了对模拟神经网络计算的兴趣的复苏，有时被称为“神经形态”计算方法。硬件的关键部件需要新的材料来提供必要的健壮、可编程和可打印的设备。该研究项目的重点是开发新的有机半导体，在沉积成薄膜后，材料的电阻能够通过暴露在可见光下被编程和重新编程。这种材料电阻的光学编码对于解耦忆阻器器件中的写入和读取过程以及为神经形态电路提供稳定，稳健和可重复的可编程元件非常重要。该项目涉及有机合成、分子表征（包括光谱学）、电子结构计算、油墨配方、薄膜印刷、薄膜表征、器件制造和测试。将材料和器件集成到电路中将在曼彻斯特大学电子和电气工程系进行。

Printed electronics (i.e. the technology of fabricating electronic devices and circuits using additive, low-temperature printing processes) promises low-cost, on-demand electronic circuit fabrication, in new form-factors (e.g. on flexible or conformal substrates) using bio-compatible components, over large areas. The most promising commercial opportunities are in intelligent sensors, smart tags and wearables, where intelligent processing is embedded in the device. Delivery of these systems requires the low-power, low-cost, and low component count of analogue computing, combined with deep learning algorithms and this has led to a resurgence of interest in analogue neural network computing, sometimes termed a "neuromorphic" approach to computation. Critical components of the hardware require new materials to deliver the necessary robust, programmeable and printable devices. This research project focusses on the development of new organic semiconductors in which the resistance of the material is capable of being programmed and re-programmed by exposure to visible light after deposition into a thin film. This optical encoding of the materials resistance is important to decouple the write and read processes in memristor devices and to deliver stable, robust and reproducible progammeable elements for neuromorphic circuits. The project involves organic synthesis, molecular characterisation including optical spectroscopy, calculation of electronic structure, formulation of inks, printing of thin films, thin film characterisation, device fabrication and testing. Integration of the materials and devices into circuits will be carried out in the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering at The University of Manchester.