2D MoS2 monolayers integration with metal oxide-based artificial synapses

In this study, we report on a memristive device structure wherein monolayers of two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) are integrated with an ultrathin yttrium oxide (Y2O3) layer to simulate artificial synapses functionality. The proposed physical simulation methodology is implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics tool and is based on the minimization of free energy of the used materials at the applied input voltage. The simulated device exhibits a stable bipolar resistive switching and the switching voltages is significantly reduced by increasing the number of MoS2 layers, which is key to conventional low-power computing and neuromorphic applications. The device is shown to perform synaptic functionalities under various applied bias conditions. The resulting synaptic weight decreases almost linearly with the increasing number of MoS2 layers due to the increase in the device thickness. The simulation outcomes pave the way for the development of optimised metal oxide-based memristive devices through their integration with semiconducting 2D materials. Also, the 2D MoS2 integration can enable the optoelectronic operation of this memory device.