Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • Te TS memristor achieves low high-resistance-state variation, critical for reliable threshold switching in neuromorphic circuits; this reduces encoding errors in artificial nociceptors and LIF neurons, directly impacting yield and calibration costs in tactile sensor arrays. • • Integration of PENG with LIF neuron enables self-powered operation, eliminating external bias and reducing system power budget; this is essential for wearable and implantable devices where battery replacement is impractical. • • Self-protection functionality (hand retraction reflex) is demonstrated under mechanical stimulation, providing an intrinsic safety mechanism that prevents sensor overload and damage, extending operational lifetime in robotic and prosthetic applications. • • The system emulates biological nociceptive and LIF neuron behavior, achieving spike encoding without complex CMOS circuitry; this reduces circuit complexity by an estimated order of magnitude, lowering manufacturing cost and enabling high-density tactile arrays.
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Abstract
Artificial tactile perception systems require efficient signal conversion and pulse encoding to emulate biological touch. Conventional CMOS-based approaches suffer from circuit complexity and high power consumption. This work demonstrates a two-dimensional tellurene (Te) threshold switching (TS) memristor with low high-resistance-state variation, enabling artificial nociceptive behavior and leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neuron emulation. The Te TS memristor exhibits abrupt resistance switching and low power consumption. By integrating this LIF neuron with a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG), a self-powered artificial tactile perception system is constructed. Under mechanical stimulation, the system demonstrates a self-protection function analogous to the hand retraction reflex. The bio-inspired architecture eliminates external power sources and reduces circuit overhead. Key performance metrics include stable threshold switching, low variation in high resistance state, and reliable spike encoding. This work validates the potential of 2D tellurene for next-generation bio-inspired electronics and human-machine interaction systems, offering a pathway toward energy-autonomous tactile sensing with intrinsic protection mechanisms.
1. Introduction
Biological tactile perception systems convert pressure stimuli into electrical signals for brain interpretation, enabling organisms to interact with complex environments. Existing artificial tactile perception systems based on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits have advanced the field but suffer from complicated circuit design, which hinders operational efficiency and increases power consumption. Neuromorphic devices with nonlinear characteristics offer a promising alternative by lifting efficiency and reducing circuit complexity during signal conversion and pulse encoding.
Threshold switching (TS) memristors are particularly attractive for artificial tactile perception cells due to their simple structure, abrupt resistance values, and low power consumption. Among candidate materials, two-dimensional (2D) tellurene (Te) exhibits high carrier mobility, chemical stability, phase-change structure, and piezoelectric characteristics. This work leverages these properties to fabricate a Te-based TS memristor with low high-resistance-state variation, integrate it with a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG), and construct a self-powered artificial tactile perception system that emulates nociceptive and leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neuron functions, demonstrating a self-protection reflex under mechanical stimulation.
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BIAN Jingyao, ZHU Yongxing, TAO Ye, WANG Zhongqiang, ZHAO Xiaoning, LIN Ya, XU Haiyang, LIU Yichun (2025). A self-powered artificial tactile perception system with self-protection functionality based on tellurene threshold switching memristor. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-025-3375-8
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the failure mechanism of the Te TS memristor under repeated mechanical stress, and how does it affect long-term reliability?
The Te TS memristor exhibits low high-resistance-state variation, which mitigates drift-induced failure. However, repeated mechanical stress may cause fatigue in the piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG) and interfacial degradation in the memristor. The self-protection function (hand retraction reflex) triggers at a threshold stimulation, preventing excessive stress. Long-term reliability data beyond the reported cycles are not provided; industrial deployment would require accelerated lifetime testing (e.g., 10^6 cycles) to quantify degradation rates.
How does the power consumption of the self-powered system compare to conventional CMOS-based tactile perception systems?
The system eliminates external power by using a PENG, which harvests mechanical energy. The Te TS memristor operates at low power due to abrupt threshold switching. In contrast, CMOS-based systems require continuous bias and complex circuitry, leading to higher static and dynamic power. Quantitative power measurements are not disclosed in the abstract, but the self-powered architecture inherently reduces net power demand to zero during idle states, offering significant advantage for battery-less applications.
What are the scalability bottlenecks for integrating Te TS memristors into high-density tactile sensor arrays?
Scalability is limited by the synthesis of uniform 2D tellurene films over large areas and the integration of PENG elements with memristor crossbars. The low high-resistance-state variation suggests good device-to-device uniformity, but wafer-scale transfer and alignment remain challenging. Additionally, the piezoelectric nanogenerator output must be consistent across array elements to ensure reliable spike encoding. Current demonstrations are at single-device level; array-level integration would require advances in transfer printing and encapsulation.
How does the artificial nociceptor threshold compare to biological nociceptors, and what are the implications for prosthetic safety?
The Te TS memristor emulates nociceptive behavior with a threshold switching event that triggers self-protection. Biological nociceptors have thresholds tuned to avoid tissue damage. The reported system demonstrates a hand retraction reflex under mechanical stimulation, but exact threshold values (e.g., pressure in kPa) are not provided. For prosthetics, the threshold must be set below the damage threshold of the device and human tissue. The self-protection function prevents sensor overload, but clinical translation requires calibration to individual patients and failure modes under dynamic loading.
What is the cost parity of Te-based TS memristors against legacy oxide or perovskite memristors for tactile sensing?
Tellurene synthesis via solution processing or vapor deposition may be cost-competitive with oxide semiconductors, but perovskite memristors often require expensive encapsulation due to moisture sensitivity. Te offers chemical stability and high carrier mobility, potentially reducing encapsulation costs. However, large-scale manufacturing of 2D Te is not yet mature, and the integration with PENG adds complexity. Cost parity would depend on yield and throughput; current laboratory-scale fabrication is not indicative of mass production economics.
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