arXiv subjects

Joshua D. Sugar

Publications and source records attributed to Joshua D. Sugar.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A self-heating electrochemical cell with nine decades of programmable linear resistance

A programmable linear resistor with a compact footprint would have profound implications for microelectronics, enabling efficient in-sensor analog signal processing and in-memory computing. Non-volatile memory offers a potential solution but suffers from limitations due to the programming mechanisms that confine switching to nanoscale constrictions or field-sensitive semiconductor junctions, leading to non-linear current-voltage relationships and errors. Here, we introduce a tunable resistor that is programmed into non-volatile, high-precision resistance states spanning nine orders of magnitude, with linear current-voltage characteristics across the entire range -- significantly improving the performance and widening the application space of resistive memory. A key advance is an electrothermal gate that simultaneously spreads heat and electrochemical reactions during programming to enable large, bulk composition modulation. The volumetric modulation can host thousands of linear resistance states with 100x lower conductance errors than other memory. This enables direct processing of analog signals with high fidelity, and we demonstrate variable-gain amplification, division, and multiplication. Integration with CMOS is used to show resilience to electrical and thermal disturb in arrays and to demonstrate retention of analog levels at <1% average loss for more than 2 months across 100 devices. Simulations indicate matrix multiplication efficiency could approach >1,000 TOPS/W.

cs.ET↗

arXiv2022

Nonvolatile Electrochemical Random-Access Memory Under Short Circuit

Electrochemical random-access memory (ECRAM) is a recently developed and highly promising analog resistive memory element for in-memory computing. One longstanding challenge of ECRAM is attaining retention time beyond a few hours. This short retention has precluded ECRAM from being considered for inference classification in deep neural networks, which is likely the largest opportunity for in-memory computing. In this work, we develop an ECRAM cell with orders of magnitude longer retention than previously achieved, and which we anticipate to exceed 10 years at 85C. We hypothesize that the origin of this exceptional retention is phase separation, which enables the formation of multiple effectively equilibrium resistance states. This work highlights the promises and opportunities to use phase separation to yield ECRAM cells with exceptionally long, and potentially permanent, retention times.

cs.ET↗

arXiv2017

Strong Photothermoelectric Response and Contact Reactivity of the Dirac Semimetal ZrTe5

The family of three-dimensional topological insulators opens new avenues to discover novel photophysics and to develop novel types of photodetectors. ZrTe5 has been shown to be a Dirac semimetal possessing unique topological electronic and optical properties. Here we present spatially-resolved photocurrent measurements on devices made of nanoplatelets of ZrTe5, demonstrating the photothermoelectric origin of the photoresponse. Due to the high electrical conductivity and good Seebeck coefficient, we obtain noise-equivalent powers as low as 42 pW/Hz1/2 at room temperature for visible light illumination at zero bias. We also show that these devices suffer from significant ambient reactivity such as the formation of a Te-rich surface region driven by Zr oxidation, as well as severe reactions with the metal contacts. This reactivity results in significant stresses in the devices, leading to unusual geometries that are useful for gaining insight into the photocurrent mechanisms. Our results indicate that both the large photothermoelectric response and reactivity must be considered when designing or interpreting photocurrent measurements in these systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗