Reconfigurable ferroelectric transistor array for embodied neuromorphic vision with hardware-native sensing, computing, and activation

Edge artificial intelligence (AI) and embodied vision call for compact, fast, and energy-efficient hardware that integrates sensing, linear analog computation, and nonlinear activation, while flexibly reallocating these functions as workloads change. However, in-sensor computing (ISC) and in-memory computing (IMC) platforms still implement activation with external peripherals and use fixed functional partitions, which break the analog signal path and restrict system reconfigurability. Here, we report a reconfigurable ferroelectric transistor (Fe-FET) array in which polarization-programmed local fields enable junction-barrier engineering in ambipolar tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) channel. This junction-barrier engineering mechanism co-programs photoresponsivity, multilevel conductance, and tunable nonlinear transport within the same device, allowing each Fe-FET cell to be reassigned among weighted sensing (ISC), linear accumulation (IMC), and hardware-native activation. The array therefore functions as a uniform pool of physical units whose roles and spatial partitions can be dynamically allocated to match task demands without changing the hardware platform. Using this role-reconfigurable platform, we implement an end-to-end analog neuromorphic vision system in which broadband sensing, linear computation, and nonlinear activation are executed natively on the same Fe-FET platform. These results establish a task-adaptive and energy-efficient route toward scalable neuromorphic vision hardware for edge intelligence.

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Publication Details

Journal
Science Advances
Published
2026-07-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aed9436
Primary Topic
Ferroelectric and Negative Capacitance Devices
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Reconfigurable ferroelectric transistor array for embodied neuromorphic vision with hardware-native sensing, computing, and activation

Jianguo Tian, Fudong Wang, Lixing Kang, YJ Li et al.
Science Advances
Ferroelectric and Negative Capacitance Devices
article

Reconfigurable ferroelectric transistor array for embodied neuromorphic vision with hardware-native sensing, computing, and activation

Jianguo Tian, Fudong Wang, Lixing Kang, YJ Li, Shuqi Chen, Shuhan Si, Zhaolong Chen, Hui-Ling Qi, Zhi-Cheng Zhang, Xu‐Dong Chen, Zhibo Liu, J Yao, Yue Ding
article en

Abstract

Edge artificial intelligence (AI) and embodied vision call for compact, fast, and energy-efficient hardware that integrates sensing, linear analog computation, and nonlinear activation, while flexibly reallocating these functions as workloads change. However, in-sensor computing (ISC) and in-memory computing (IMC) platforms still implement activation with external peripherals and use fixed functional partitions, which break the analog signal path and restrict system reconfigurability. Here, we report a reconfigurable ferroelectric transistor (Fe-FET) array in which polarization-programmed local fields enable junction-barrier engineering in ambipolar tungsten diselenide (WSe 2 ) channel. This junction-barrier engineering mechanism co-programs photoresponsivity, multilevel conductance, and tunable nonlinear transport within the same device, allowing each Fe-FET cell to be reassigned among weighted sensing (ISC), linear accumulation (IMC), and hardware-native activation. The array therefore functions as a uniform pool of physical units whose roles and spatial partitions can be dynamically allocated to match task demands without changing the hardware platform. Using this role-reconfigurable platform, we implement an end-to-end analog neuromorphic vision system in which broadband sensing, linear computation, and nonlinear activation are executed natively on the same Fe-FET platform. These results establish a task-adaptive and energy-efficient route toward scalable neuromorphic vision hardware for edge intelligence.

Science AdvancesVol. 12(29)
Tianjin University of Technology (CN), Tianjin University (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Peking University (CN), Nankai University (CN), Suzhou Institute of Nano-tech and Nano-bionics (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Vacuum Interconnected Nanotech Workstation, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 14%
Ferroelectric and Negative Capacitance Devices
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