Stochastic Resonance in Organic Electronic Devices

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 14; no. 4; p. 747
• Main Authors: Suzuki, Yoshiharu, Asakawa, Naoki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.02.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Brain research; Deep learning; Digital technology; Electrical properties; Electronic devices; Energy consumption; Field effect transistors; Field programmable gate arrays; Information processing; Integrated circuits; internal noise; Machine learning; Metal oxides; Noise; Noise threshold; noise-driven phenomenon; Nonlinear response; Nonlinear systems; organic electronic device; Organic materials; polyalkylthiophene; polymer semiconductor; R&D; Research & development; Review; Semiconductor devices; Semiconductors; Signal processing; Signal transmission; Stochastic resonance; Synapses; polymer semiconductor; organic electronic device; stochastic resonance; noise-driven phenomenon; biomimicry; stochastic computing; internal noise; bioinspiration; polyalkylthiophene
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym14040747

Stochastic Resonance (SR) is a phenomenon in which noise improves the performance of a system. With the addition of noise, a weak input signal to a nonlinear system, which may exceed its threshold, is transformed into an output signal. In the other words, noise-driven signal transfer is achieved. SR has been observed in nonlinear response systems, such as biological and artificial systems, and this review will focus mainly on examples of previous studies of mathematical models and experimental realization of SR using poly(hexylthiophene)-based organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). This phenomenon may contribute to signal processing with low energy consumption. However, the generation of SR requires a noise source. Therefore, the focus is on OFETs using materials such as organic materials with unstable electrical properties and critical elements due to unidirectional signal transmission, such as neural synapses. It has been reported that SR can be observed in OFETs by application of external noise. However, SR does not occur under conditions where the input signal exceeds the OFET threshold without external noise. Here, we present an example of a study that analyzes the behavior of SR in OFET systems and explain how SR can be made observable. At the same time, the role of internal noise in OFETs will be explained.