A radiation-hardening Ta/Ta₂O_{5- x}/Al₂O₃/InGaZnO₄ memristor for harsh electronics

In this work, the electrical characteristics of Ta/Ta₂O_{5 -x}/Al₂O₃/InGaZnO₄ memristor devices under radiation are studied. The measured I-V curves indicate that this type of device has excellent stability and uniformity after radiation with a total ionization dose of 59.5 krad. The electrical properties of this post-irradiation memristor change slightly at a high temperature of 200 °C. These features enable our fabricated memristor devices operate as electronic (or artificial) synapses for neuromorphic computing or artificial intelligence in harsh electronics. The conductance of the device can be adjusted continuously like the synaptic weight, which lays the foundation for the electronic synapse. The temperature dependence of I-V characteristics before and after radiation is in good agreement with the hopping conduction mechanism. The activation energy is lower and the trap spacing is shorter after a total ionization dose of 59.5 krad irradiation. Moreover, the existence of oxygen vacancies is observed by XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The highly stable nature of this Ta/Ta₂O_{5 -x}/Al₂O₃/InGaZnO₄ memristor device under radiation indicates its great potential in harsh electronics for aerospace, nuclear, and military applications.