Recent Advances in Transistor‐Based Artificial Synapses

Abstract Simulating biological synapses with electronic devices is a re‐emerging field of research. It is widely recognized as the first step in hardware building brain‐like computers and artificial intelligent systems. Thus far, different types of electronic devices have been proposed to mimic synaptic functions. Among them, transistor‐based artificial synapses have the advantages of good stability, relatively controllable testing parameters, clear operation mechanism, and can be constructed from a variety of materials. In addition, they can perform concurrent learning, in which synaptic weight update can be performed without interrupting the signal transmission process. Synergistic control of one device can also be implemented in a transistor‐based artificial synapse, which opens up the possibility of developing robust neuron networks with significantly fewer neural elements. These unique features of transistor‐based artificial synapses make them more suitable for emulating synaptic functions than other types of devices. However, the development of transistor‐based artificial synapses is still in its very early stages. Herein, this article presents a review of recent advances in transistor‐based artificial synapses in order to give a guideline for future implementation of synaptic functions with transistors. The main challenges and research directions of transistor‐based artificial synapses are also presented.