Static and Dynamic Stochastic Analysis of a Temperature-Sensitive VO2 Spiking Neuron

In this work, we investigate the intrinsic cycle-to-cycle variations in a spiking temperature-sensitive neuron, based on the resistive switching of a Vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) two-terminal device. We study how this phenomenon impacts the spike rate jitter, and affects the spiking sensor precision. To do so, we combine a statistical analysis of the device DC characteristics, with measurements of the spiking neuron in dynamic operation from 41 to 47 °C. Using an analytical dynamic model, we reveal that the VO 2 cycle-to-cycle variations of the insulating resistance and insulator-to-metal threshold voltage dominate the stochastic processes. Our spiking sensor achieves large, linear sensitivity (1.71 kHz/°C) and high resolution (0.024 °C for a 10 ms-long observation), attributed to its small cycle-to-cycle variations.