Ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) is a promising candidate to further dynamic random access memory (DRAM) scaling. However, the design of the FeRAM bit cell is nontrivial as the ferroelectric device model is not well supported by EDA tools. Modern integrated circuit design heavily depends on circuit-level SPICE simulators that integrate compact device models through modified nodal analysis (MNA) representation. This paper presents a novel MNA-based SPICE simulation method for ferroelectric device models, targeted at the design space exploration of FeRAM bitcells. Furthermore, this paper provides a co-design procedure for FeRAM bitcells and sense amplifiers via a comprehensive case study.

Abstract Hafnium (Hf) oxide-based ferroelectric materials have emerged as a transformative platform for next-generation non-volatile memory and advanced computing technologies. This review comprehensively examines the development, challenges, and applications of HfO 2 ferroelectrics, emphasizing their CMOS compatibility, scalability, and robust polarization at nanoscale dimensions. Breakthroughs in doping strategies, stress engineering, and VO control have stabilized the metastable orthorhombic phase, enabling high-performance devices such as ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs), and ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs). These devices offer ultrafast switching, low power consumption, and multi-level storage, driving innovations in neuromorphic computing, in-memory processing, and cryogenic systems; nonetheless, they face ongoing challenges in reliability, such as fatigue and imprint effects, and scalability at sub-5 nm technology nodes. Emerging frontiers, such as wurtzite-structured nitrides (e.g., AlScN) and antiferroelectric ZrO 2 -based systems, have garnered significant attention due to their exceptionally high remanent polarization and promising potential for enhanced endurance, respectively. Further addressing the reliability issues of these emerging ferroelectric materials and the challenges associated with large-scale integration processes through interdisciplinary efforts will unlock the full potential of ferroelectric technologies, positioning them as pivotal enablers of post-Moore computing architectures and sustainable AI-driven applications.

The compressed sensing (CS) imaging method, based on the sparsity of the target in the imaging scene, provides feasibility for achieving radar forward-looking super-resolution imaging. However, traditional CS imaging methods only consider isolated, strong scattering points in the generated image, limiting the quality of forward-looking imaging. To address this problem, this paper proposes a multi-channel radar structured sparse forward-looking super-resolution imaging method based on convolutional weighting. Inspiration for this method stems from the distribution characteristics of scatterers in radar images, where their correlation with neighboring points reflects the intrinsic structural information of the target. By incorporating a convolutional weighting mechanism, the imaging model is able to more effectively extract such structured sparsity key information within the scene. Specifically, when applying the Alternating Direction Multiplier Method (ADMM) to imaging problems, this method dynamically adjusts the weight of the next iteration by analyzing the convolutional relationship between each pixel in the current solution and its neighborhood values, thereby effectively capturing and utilizing the structured sparsity characteristics in the image. Finally, simulation and measured results show that the proposed method not only improves radar forward-looking super-resolution imaging performance but also preserves the structural information of the reconstructed target, proving its effectiveness and superiority.

We propose computing primitive for an all-optical spiking neural network (SNN) based on vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) for supervised learning by using biologically plausible mechanisms. The spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) model was established based on the dynamics of the vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (VCSOA) subject to dual-optical pulse injection. The neuron-synapse self-consistent unified model of the all-optical SNN was developed, which enables reproducing the essential neuron-like dynamics and STDP function. Optical character numbers are trained and tested by the proposed fully VCSEL-based all-optical SNN. Simulation results show that the proposed all-optical SNN is capable of recognizing ten numbers by a supervised learning algorithm, in which the input and output patterns as well as the teacher signals of the all-optical SNN are represented by spatiotemporal fashions. Moreover, the lateral inhibition is not required in our proposed architecture, which is friendly to the hardware implementation. The system-level unified model enables architecture-algorithm codesigns and optimization of all-optical SNN. To the best of our knowledge, the computing primitive of an all-optical SNN based on VCSELs for supervised learning has not yet been reported, which paves the way toward fully VCSEL-based large-scale photonic neuromorphic systems with low power consumption.