Patent · US Expired

GaAS-based optoelectronic neurons

US5204521A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
3References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 3, 1992
Grant dateApr 20, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 3, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06N3/0675
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An integrated, optoelectronic, variable thresholding neuron implemented monolithically in a GaAs integrated circuit and exhibiting high differential optical gain and low power consumption. Two alternative embodiments each comprise an LED monolithically integrated with a detector and two transistors. One of the transistors is responsive to a bias voltage applied to its gate for varying the threshold of the neuron. One embodiment is implemented as an LED monolithically integrated with a double heterojunction bipolar phototransistor (detector) and two metal semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFET's) on a single GaAs substrate and another embodiment is implemented as an LED monolithically integrated with three MESFET's (one of which is an optical FET detector) on a single GaAs substrate. The first noted embodiment exhibits a differential optical gain of 6 and an optical switching energy of 10 pJ. The second embodiment has a differential optical gain of 80 and an optical switching energy or 38 pJ. Power consumption is 2.4 mW and 1.8 mW, respectively. Input "light" power needed to turn on the LED is 2 .mu.W and 54 nW, respectively. In both embodiments the detector is in series wit…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.