• Universitat de València

The most promising approach to building neuron-like structures is to use a key element, called a memristor, as the main component of electronic circuits. A memristor is an electronic element that nonlinearly varies its resistance according to the previous history of applied voltage. This results in the capability to combine information processing with memory storage in a single component, just as biological neurons do.

Up to now, the various proposals for obtaining memristive devices are, almost entirely, carried out using materials based on metals or their oxides, such as TiO2-x layers, silver nanoparticles, etc. However, the low reproducibility in the behaviour of these prototypes, the low structural variability they present, as well as the difficulties in functionalisation and nanostructuring have greatly limited their application.

Researchers at the Universitat de València have developed a memristive device, that is, a device with the capacity to store memory in its resistivity, using a polymeric material with characteristics that can be modified by chemical design. Thus, it is possible to use it in different neuromorphic computing applications where a large number of accessible states are necessary.

In addition, these polymeric memristors can have a high biological compatibility that will allow them to be integrated into elements with biosensitive functions, as well as being considered environmentally friendly elements.

Therefore, this new memristive device solves the problems that have existed up to now, allowing an almost continuous number of driving states to be obtained, as well as complete reversibility in the read and write process.

Therefore, by overcoming the limitations of memristor materials thus far, such as low variability and reproducibility, the technology's industrial application is possible.

The target market for the invention is the microelectronics sector, mainly in computational systems based on neural networks with memristive hardware elements.

The main advantages provided by the devices of the invention are:

• Versatility of molecular chemistry to create tailor-made designs.
• Remarkable reduction in terms of size and energy requirements.
• Optimal processability using low-cost soft techniques.
• Complete reversibility in the read and write process.

• Patent applied