D1: Emulating, Listening and communicating with neurons

Event

Dissemination Workshop

When

10:00 - 18:00

Where

Room 1.08

Abstract

This workshop arising from truly interdisciplinary EU projects BeFerroSynaptic, IN-FET and Crossbrain, addresses three different viewpoints showcasing the latest developments in neuromorphic systems and brain-interfacing technology. Firstly, an introductory insight will be given into aspects such as relevant signals and their timescales in biology versus artificial systems, signal encoding and interpretation. Then, presenters will showcase a selection of new nano(electronic) technology solutions under study to emulate, sense and communicate with neurons. Talks will span from material/devices to circuits, systems and integration challenges. Among these: the synaptic operation of advanced CMOS- compatible ferroelectric devices, the design and measured performance of the texel neuromorphic chip. The latest developments in high performance micro-electrode arrays and their integration with CMOS readouts will exemplify the state-of-the-art in “listening” technology. We will also highlight the challenges of “communicating” with neurons via iontronic based neuromodulation techniques, and via perspective microbot nanotechnology for detection and prevention of dysfunctional neural behaviors. Last but not the least, the need of new models and simulators in support of engineering devices for neurosciences will be addressed and exemplified.

Organiser

Luca Selmi (Università degli Studi di Modena, IT)

Luca Selmi (PhD 1992) is Professor of Electronics since year 2000In 1989-1990 he was a visiting scientist at Hewlett Packard Microwave Technology Division, USA. He served as associate editor of IEEE Electron Device Letters and in 2015 he was elevated to the IEEE Fellow grade. He served as General chair of INFOS, IEEE ICMTS and EUROSOI-ULIS conferences; as IEDM TPC member, TPC member and publications chair of the IEEE VLSI Symposium. as technical committee member of IEEE IRPS. From 2017 to 2023 he has been Director of the Italian Inter-University Consortium for Nano-Electronics (IU.net) which coordinates the operation of fourteen university groups in various fields of nanoelectronics. Luca Selmi held technical and coordination responsibilities of research units in more than 15 EU projects and coordinated one (III-V-MOS). As University professor, He activated numerous international collaboration agreements and double MSc and PhD degree initiatives.

Luca Selmi’s research interests spanned various topics in Micro and Nano-electronics for switching, memory and sensing applications. In particular: modeling and simulation of silicon devices, high field transport and hot carrier effects in MOSFETs, BJTs and NVM cells; Monte Carlo transport simulation; quasi ballistic transport in nanoMOSFETs, scaling and reliability of CMOS devices. Recently his research interests extended to nanoelectronic (bio)sensors based on nanoelectrode arrays for high frequency impedance spectroscopy, neural signal recording, and to functionalized ISFETs.

Luca Selmi co-authored more than 420 papers on refereed international journals (mostly IEEE-TED, IEEE Sensor Journal, IEEE-EDL) and proceedings of major international conferenceand one book on “Nanoscale MOS transistors: Semiclassical transport and applications” by Cambridge University Press and a few book chapters.

Program

10:00 - 10:05

Introduction

Luca Selmi (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, IT)

10:05 - 10:20

Energy-efficient neuromorphic computing platform beyond conventional CMOS technology: the BeFerroSynaptic project

Stefan Slesazek (NaMLab, DE)

10:20 - 10:35

Ionic neuromodulation and electronic sensing for epilepsy treatment: the IN-FET project

Michele Giugliano (SISSA, IT)

10:35 - 10:50

Innovative microelectronics and nanomaterials for breakthrough neuromodulation technologies: the CROSSBRAIN project

Nicola Toschi (Università di Roma, Tor Vergata, IT)

10:50 - 11:35

NEURON COMMUNICATION: Chemical and electrical signalling for interneuron communication and network formation: can we repurpose biology with hardware cognitive systems?

Andrea Duggento (Università di Roma, Tor Vergata, IT) and Erika Covi (NamLab, DE)

11:35 - 12:20

LISTENING TO NEURONS: Progress in neuron-electrode interfacing

Michele Giugliano (SISSA, IT)

12:20 - 13:30

Lunch

13:30 - 14:15

EMULATING NEURONS: Design and measurements of neuromorphic chips and algorithms: the Texel demonstrator

Nicoletta Risi (University of Groningen, NL)

14:15 - 15:00

COMMUNICATING WITH NEURONS: Challenges to ionic actuation

Merlyne De Souza (University of Sheffield, GB)

15:00 - 15:20

EMULATING SYNAPSIS: BEOL Integration of ferroelectric tunnel junctions with synaptic functionality

Laura Bégon-Lours (IBM Zurich, CH)

15:20 - 16:00

Coffee Break

16:00 - 16:20

EMULATING SYNAPSIS: Emulating synaptic weights with thin films transistors based on ferroelectric hafnia

Donato Falcone (IBM Zurich, CH)

16:20 - 17:05

COMMUNICATING WITH NEURONS: Functional nanointerfaces for communicating with neurons trough ion channels

Danijela Gregurec (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, DE)

17:05 - 17:50

SUPPORTING NEURON SENSING AND ACTUATION ENGINEERING: The role of advanced multiscale/multiphysics modeling and simulation tools from the materials/device to the circuit and system level

Pierpaolo Palestri (Università degli Studi di Udine, IT)

17:50 - 18:00

Final Discussion and Conclusions

Biosketches

Stefan Slesazek (NaMLab, DE)

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stefan-Slesazeck

Michele Giugliano (SISSA, IT)

https://www.giugliano.info/cv/

Nicola Toschi (Università di Roma, Tor Vergata, IT)

https://fismed.uniroma2.it/staff/nicola-toschi/

Andrea Duggento (Università di Roma, Tor Vergata, IT)

https://fismed.uniroma2.it/staff/andrea-duggento/