Thermal Expansion-Engineered Ferroelectric Transistor Arrays for Scalable Edge AI Computing

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Authors: Geonwook Kim, Hyunho Seok, Sihoon Son, Hyunbin Choi, Hyunho Kim, Jinhyoung Lee, Gunhyoung Kim, Dongho Lee, Seowoo Son, Taesung Kim
Cited by: 4
References: 57

Abstract

Conventional von Neumann architectures are fundamentally limited by the separation of memory and logic, leading to energy and latency bottlenecks in AI workloads. Here, we present a reconfigurable ferroelectric transistor platform based on a metal–ferroelectric–metal–insulator–semiconductor (MFMIS) structure capable of switching between volatile and nonvolatile modes via gate metal engineering. By selecting tungsten (W) or titanium nitride (TiN) as gate electrodes, we modulate interfacial strain and work function to tailor ferroelectric switching in a fixed Hf 0 . 5 Zr 0 . 5 O 2 (HZO) layer. W-gated MFMIS-FeFETs exhibit a large memory window (∼11 V), >10 6 on/off ratio, 10 12 endurance cycles, and excellent uniformity across 350 devices, with 22 programmable conductance states and robust synaptic behavior. Leveraging these characteristics, a hardware-aware VGG-8 convolutional neural network simulation for CIFAR-10 classification achieved 97.2% accuracy under realistic device nonidealities. Additionally, edge detection and feature extraction were experimentally realized in FeFET arrays via analog-domain convolution using differential kernel encoding. These results validate in-memory multiply–accumulate operations, alleviating von Neumann bottlenecks while enhancing energy efficiency. This work establishes reconfigurable MFMIS-FeFET arrays as a scalable and low-power platform for neuromorphic and compute-in-memory architectures, enabling monolithic integration of memory and logic for intelligent edge systems and beyond-CMOS computing.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Ferroelectric and Negative Capacitance Devices Advanced Memory and Neural Computing Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials

Publication details

Journal / source
ACS Nano
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Volume
20
Issue
5
Pages
4057–4067
Publication date
27 January 2026
Language
EN