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Tuning ferroelectricity of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 is crucial for facilitating its practical applications in various fields, including in-memory and neuromorphic computing. Previous studies have revealed that the electrodes have a significant influence on ferroelectricity, and changing electrode materials can realize different but discrete ferroelectric polarization values. Here, we introduce an alloy-electrode method, in order to achieve gradual and accurate modulation of ferroelectric polarization, especially useful for matching the polarization charges at the interface of ferroelectric insulators and ferroelectric semiconductors. Au and W electrodes are chosen as baselines for realizing weak and strong ferroelectric polarization, where the intermediate states can be achieved by adjusting the ratio of metals in the Au-W alloy. To demonstrate the generality of this approach, the Cu-W alloy electrode is also realized for tuning ferroelectric polarization. The effect of alloy electrodes on device leakage current, endurance, and retention is evaluated. In addition, the temperature stability of ferroelectric capacitors is tested, where limited changes in both remnant polarization and coercive voltages are observed, showing the great potential of the ferroelectric hafnium oxide. Such gradual modulation of ferroelectric polarization could facilitate the application of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 in in-memory and neuromorphic computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless internet-of-things (WIoT) with data acquisition sensors are evolving rapidly and the demand for transmission efficiency is growing rapidly. Frequency converter that synthesizes signals at different frequencies and mixes them with sensor datastreams is a key component for efficient wireless transmission. However, existing frequency converters employ separate synthesize and mix circuits with complex digital and analog circuits using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, naturally incurring excessive latency and energy consumption. Here we report a highly uniform and calibratable VO2 memristor oscillator, based on which we build memristor-based frequency converter using 8 × 8 VO2 array that can realize in-situ frequency synthesize and mix with help of compact periphery circuits. We investigate the self-oscillation based on negative differential resistance of VO2 memristors and the programmability with different driving currents and calibration resistances, demonstrating capabilities of such frequency converter for in-situ frequency synthesize and mix for 2 ~ 8 channels with frequencies up to 48 kHz for low frequency transmission link. When transmitting classical sensor data (acoustic, vision and spatial) in an end-to-end WIoT experimental setup, our VO2-based memristive frequency converter presents up to 1.45× ~ 1.94× power enhancement with only 0.02 ~ 0.21 dB performance degradations compared with conventional CMOS-based frequency converter. This work highlights the potential in solving frequency converter's speed and energy efficiency problems in WIoT using high crystalline quality epitaxially grown VO2 and calibratable VO2-based oscillator array, revealing a promising direction for next-generation WIoT system design. Frequency converters for wireless internet of things applications typically require separate circuits for different functions, causing energy and performance inefficiencies. Using an epitaxially grown VO2 memristor array, Liu et al. present a frequency converter with in-situ frequency synthesis and mix functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless internet-of-things (WIoT) with data acquisition sensors are evolving rapidly and the demand for transmission efficiency is growing rapidly. Frequency converter that synthesizes signals at different frequencies and mixes them with sensor datastreams is a key component for efficient wireless transmission. However, existing frequency converters employ separate synthesize and mix circuits with complex digital and analog circuits using complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, naturally incurring excessive latency and energy consumption. Here we report a highly uniform and calibratable VO 2 memristor oscillator, based on which we build memristor-based frequency converter using 8[Formula: see text]8 VO 2 array that can realize in-situ frequency synthesize and mix with help of compact periphery circuits. We investigate the self-oscillation based on negative differential resistance of VO 2 memristors and the programmability with different driving currents and calibration resistances, demonstrating capabilities of such frequency converter for in-situ frequency synthesize and mix for 2 ~ 8 channels with frequencies up to 48 kHz for low frequency transmission link. When transmitting classical sensor data (acoustic, vision and spatial) in an end-to-end WIoT experimental setup, our VO 2 -based memristive frequency converter presents up to 1.45× ~ 1.94× power enhancement with only 0.02 ~ 0.21 dB performance degradations compared with conventional CMOS-based frequency converter. This work highlights the potential in solving frequency converter's speed and energy efficiency problems in WIoT using high crystalline quality epitaxially grown VO 2 and calibratable VO 2 -based oscillator array, revealing a promising direction for next-generation WIoT system design., (© 2024. The Author(s).)