Title:  Liquid Phase Electroepitaxy of Lithium Niobite and Scaling of Intercalation Memristors

Committee: 

Dr. Doolittle, Advisor    

Dr. Hunt, Chair

Dr. Davis

Abstract: The objective of the proposed research is to better understand the memristive mechanisms of LiNbO2 memristors through scaling and novel device design in the hopes of utilizing their unique ion dynamics for low power neuromorphic computing. With the end of Moore’s law and challenges presented by neuromorphic computing loads new architectures of computing are being sought to decrease energy consumption and increase the speed of inference. One of the novel device types these architectures hope to use in pursuit of low power neuromorphic computation is the memristor. The intercalation memristor LiNbO2 has shown promise in previous benefits in scaling to the micron level but by scaling further down to modern lithography aspect ratios a larger maximum resistance change and faster ion dynamics could be achieved. In addition to the benefits of scaling LiNbO2 memristive devices the mechanism of the resistance change will be illuminated. By measuring the change of resistivity due to lithium uptake into a silver trace the proportion of resistance change attributable to direct intercalation of lithium ions into a metal that lithium is soluble the exact mechanism of memristive device change attributable to that intercalation can be inferred.