Simulation-Based Ultralow Energy and High-Speed LIF Neuron Using Silicon Bipolar Impact Ionization MOSFET for Spiking Neural Networks

The silicon bipolar impact ionization MOSFET offers potential for the realization of leaky integrated fire (LIF) silicon neuron due to the presence of parasitic bipolar junction transistor (BJT) in the floating body. In this article, we have proposed an L-shaped gate bipolar impact ionization MOS (L-BIMOS) with reduced breakdown voltage (V-B = 1.68 V) and demonstrated the functioning of LIF neuron based on the positive feedback mechanism of parasitic BJT. Using the 2-D TCAD simulations, we manifest that the proposed L-BIMOS exhibits a low threshold voltage (0.2 V) for firing a spike, and the minimum energy required to fire a single spike for L-BIMOS is calculated to be 0.18 pJ, which makes the proposed device 194 times more energy efficient than the PD-SOI MOSFET silicon neuron and 5 x 103 times more energy efficient than the analog/digital circuit-based conventional neurons. Furthermore, the proposed L-BIMOS silicon neuron exhibits spiking frequency in the gigahertz range when the drain is biased at V-DG = 2.0 V.