Symmetrically tunable electrical resistor

A neuromorphic computing system, comprising:

• a plurality of electrical resistor elements as synapses each of the plurality of electrical resistor elements having tunable resistance, and each of the plurality of electrical resister elements including:
• a first contact electrode;
• a second contact electrode;
• a ferroelectric layer arranged between the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode, the ferroelectric layer comprising:
• a first area having a first polarization direction;
• a second area having a second polarization direction, the first polarization direction being different to the second polarization direction;
• and
• a domain wall between the first area and the second area;
• a first pinning element configured to stabilize the first polarization direction of the ferroelectric layer;
• and
• a control circuit configured to tune the resistance of the electrical resistor element by applying electrical pulses to the ferroelectric layer such that the ferroelectric domain wall is moved;
• and
• a second pinning element configured to stabilize the second polarization direction of the ferroelectric layer, wherein the first pinning element comprises a first set of static pinning electrodes configured to polarize a first ferroelectric pinning layer in the first polarization direction, and the second pinning element comprises a second set of static pinning electrodes configured to polarize a second ferroelectric pinning layer in the second polarization direction.

A method for tuning the resistance of an electrical resistor element, comprising:

• stabilizing, by a first pinning element, a first polarization direction of a ferroelectric layer of an electrical resistor element;
• and
• tuning, by a control circuit, a resistance of the electrical resistor element by applying electrical pulses to the ferroelectric layer, thereby moving a ferroelectric domain wall;
• the electrical resistor element, including:
• a first contact electrode;
• a second contact electrode;
• the ferroelectric layer arranged between the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode, the ferroelectric layer including:
• a first area having the first polarization direction;
• a second area having a second polarization direction, the first polarization direction being different to the second polarization direction;
• and
• the domain wall being between the first area and the second area;
• and
• a second pinning element configured to stabilize the second polarization direction of the ferroelectric layer, wherein the first pinning element comprises a first set of static pinning electrodes configured to polarize a first ferroelectric pinning layer in the first polarization direction, and the second pinning element comprises a second set of static pinning electrodes configured to polarize a second ferroelectric pinning layer in the second polarization direction.

An electrical resistor element with tunable resistance, comprising:

• a first contact electrode;
• a second contact electrode;
• a ferroelectric layer arranged between the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode, the ferroelectric layer comprising:
• a first area having a first polarization direction;
• a second area having a second polarization direction, the first polarization direction being different to the second polarization direction;
• and
• a domain wall between the first area and the second area;
• a first pinning element configured to stabilize the first polarization direction of the ferroelectric layer;
• and
• a control circuit configured to tune the resistance of the electrical resistor element by applying electrical pulses to the ferroelectric layer such that the ferroelectric domain wall is moved, wherein the control circuit is configured to increase the resistance of the resistor element by applying electrical pulses of a first polarity, and decrease the resistance of the resistor element by applying electrical pulses of a second polarity, the second polarity being opposite to the first polarity;
• the first pinning element comprises a first coupling electrode;
• a second pinning element comprises a second coupling electrode;
• the electrical resistor element is configured to apply, the electrical pulses of the first polarity in parallel to the first pinning element and to the first contact electrode;
• the electrical pulses of the second polarity in parallel to the second pinning element and to the first contact electrode;
• and wherein a coupling resistance of the first coupling electrode and of the second coupling electrode is lower than a coupling resistance of the first contact electrode.

A neuromorphic computing system, comprising:

• a plurality of electrical resistor elements as synapses each of the plurality of electrical resistor elements having tunable resistance, and each of the plurality of electrical resister elements including:
• a first contact electrode;
• a second contact electrode;
• a ferroelectric layer arranged between the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode, the ferroelectric layer comprising:
• a first area having a first polarization direction;
• a second area having a second polarization direction, the first polarization direction being different to the second polarization direction;
• and
• a domain wall between the first area and the second area;
• a first pinning element configured to stabilize the first polarization direction of the ferroelectric layer;
• and
• a control circuit configured to tune the resistance of the electrical resistor element by applying electrical pulses to the ferroelectric layer such that the ferroelectric domain wall is moved, wherein the control circuit is configured to increase the resistance of the resistor element by applying electrical pulses of a first polarity, and decrease the resistance of the resistor element by applying electrical pulses of a second polarity, the second polarity being opposite to the first polarity;
• the first pinning element comprises a first coupling electrode;
• a second pinning element comprises a second coupling electrode;
• the electrical resistor element is configured to apply, the electrical pulses of the first polarity in parallel to the first pinning element and to the first contact electrode;
• the electrical pulses of the second polarity in parallel to the second pinning element and to the first contact electrode;
• and wherein a coupling resistance of the first coupling electrode and of the second coupling electrode is lower than a coupling resistance of the first contact electrode.

A method for tuning the resistance of an electrical resistor element, comprising:

• stabilizing, by a first pinning element, a first polarization direction of a ferroelectric layer of an electrical resistor element;
• and
• tuning, by a control circuit, a resistance of the electrical resistor element by applying electrical pulses to the ferroelectric layer, thereby moving a ferroelectric domain wall;
• the electrical resistor element, including:
• a first contact electrode;
• a second contact electrode;
• the ferroelectric layer arranged between the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode, the ferroelectric layer including:
• a first area having the first polarization direction;
• a second area having a second polarization direction, the first polarization direction being different to the second polarization direction;
• and
• the domain wall being between the first area and the second area;
• wherein the control circuit is configured to increase the resistance of the resistor element by applying electrical pulses of a first polarity, and decrease the resistance of the resistor element by applying electrical pulses of a second polarity, the second polarity being opposite to the first polarity;
• the first pinning element comprises a first coupling electrode;
• a second pinning element comprises a second coupling electrode;
• the electrical resistor element is configured to apply, the electrical pulses of the first polarity in parallel to the first pinning element and to the first contact electrode;
• the electrical pulses of the second polarity in parallel to the second pinning element and to the first contact electrode;
• and wherein a coupling resistance of the first coupling electrode and of the second coupling electrode is lower than a coupling resistance of the first contact electrode.