Advancing organic SemicondUctor / 2D hybrid organic-inorganic PERovskite heterojunction-based floating-GATE transistors for neuromorphic computing applications

The ascent of artificial intelligence and the increasing demand for clean energy technologies in Europe has given rise to a pertinent need for modern computing systems with reduced energy consumption. Neuromorphic computing, inspired by the working of the human brain, constitutes a potential paradigm shift in low-energy computing. Floating gate synaptic transistors (FGTs), critical components in neuromorphic computing hardware, offer promising pathways to perform massively parallel computational tasks with ultralow energy consumption of 1-10 fJ/spike. Despite the promises of FGTs, several challenges related to limited control over the charge-trapping properties, morphology, and stability of the floating gate layer need to be addressed. The SUPER-GATE project introduces an innovative concept of combining advanced 2D hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite (HOIP) molecular design with a facile and effective heterojunction design. In SUPER-GATE, an interdisciplinary strategy of materials and device engineering will be implemented by fine-tuning the energy level alignment of the organic cation in the 2D HOIP with an organic semiconductor channel in the form of a heterojunction. This will lead to synaptic performance with ultra-low power consumption (<1 fJ/spike) and more stable HOIP-based FGT devices than achieved to date (>152 days). Combining advanced optoelectronic and morphological characterization, structure-property-performance relationships will be formulated to guide further material and device development. The expertise of the researcher in the fabrication and optimization of organic electronic devices by solution-processed techniques will be combined with the host's experience in HOIP synthesis and the advanced optoelectronic characterization of transistors. The in-depth training gained during SUPER-GATE will contribute to the researcher’s professional career to become a cutting-edge scientist and present an important milestone toward academic independence.