Information processing element

• US 5,267,347 A
• Filed: 09/16/1992
• Issued: 11/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Maeda, Mitsuo, Tanaka, Ken-Ichi, Ueyama, Satoshi, Isoda, Satoru, Kawakubo, Hiroaki, Hanazato, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleming, Michael R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US07/946,259
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• Field of Search: 395/24, 395/25, 364/807, 364/602, 307/201
• US Class Current: 706/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/063 using electronic means

Abstract

An information processing element for processing information with a function of neural network includes a semiconductor integrated circuit element portion comprising a plurality of neuron circuit regions constituting a neuron function among the neural network function, a molecular film element having a light-electricity function, provided on the circuit element portion, and the combination between the plurality of neurons is realized by utilizing a photoconductivity property of the molecular film element.

Claims

1. An information processing element comprising:

a semiconductor integrated circuit element comprising an N ×

M matrix of neuron circuit regions, each neuron circuit region having an input and an output electrode;

a first heterojunction molecular film having photoconductive characteristics and disposed on said semiconductor integrated circuit element;

2N pieces of first semi-transparent wirings provided on said first heterojunction molecular film in a transverse direction to transverse the output electrodes or the input electrodes of a plurality of said neuron circuit regions to form a plurality of first cross points;

a second heterojunction molecular film having photoconductive characteristics and disposed on said first heterojunction molecular film on which said first semi-transparent wirings are provided; and

2M pieces of second semi-transparent wirings provided on said second heterojunction molecular film in a longitudinal direction to transverse the output electrodes or the input electrodes of a plurality of said neuron circuit regions and to form a plurality of second cross points;

said 2N pieces of first semi-transparent wirings at least partially disposed intermediate said first and second heterojunction molecular films;

the first cross points and the second cross points being responsive to light so that intensity (T_ij) at a juncture between said N×

M neuron circuit regions is controllable.

2. A visual information processing element conducting processing of visual information having a neural network function, comprising:

a semiconductor integrated circuit element comprising an N ×

M matrix of neuron circuit regions, each neuron circuit region having an input electrode and an output electrode;

a first heterojunction molecular film having photoconductive properties and disposed on said semiconductor integrated circuit element;

2N pieces of first semi-transparent wirings provided on said first heterojunction molecular film in a transverse direction to transverse the output electrodes or the input electrodes of M neuron circuit regions;

a second heterojunction molecular film having photoelectric properties and disposed on said first heterojunction molecular film on which said first semi-transparent wirings are provided; and

2M pieces of second semi-transparent wirings provided on said second heterojunction molecular film in a longitudinal direction to transverse the output electrodes or the input electrodes of a plurality of said circuit regions;

said 2N pieces of first semi-transparent wirings at least partially disposed intermediate said first and second heterojunction molecular films;

the cross point between the output electrode or the input electrode of each of said neuron circuit regions and said first semi-transparent wiring, sand the cross point between the first semi-transparent wiring and the second semi-transparent wiring being responsive to light so that the intensity at the juncture (T_ij) between said N×

M pieces of neuron circuit regions is controllable.

3. An information processing element comprising:

a semiconductor integrated circuit element having a plurality of neuron circuit regions, each of said neuron circuit regions having an input electrode and an output electrode, said neuron circuit regions arranged into a matrix configuration;

a first heterojunction molecular film having photoconductive characteristics and disposed on said semiconductor integrated circuit element;

a first plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors disposed on said first heterojunction molecular film in a first direction so as to transverse the output electrodes or the input electrodes of at least one neuron circuit region to form a first crossing point;

a second heterojunction molecular film having photoconductive characteristics and disposed on said first heterojunction molecular film and said first plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors;

a second plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors disposed on the second heterojunction molecular film in a second direction so as to transverse the output electrodes or the input electrodes of the neuron circuit regions to form a second crossing point;

the first crossing point and second crossing point being sensitive to light to control the intensity at the juncture between the neuron circuit regions; and

a plurality of image sensor elements, each image sensor element coupled to one of said neuron circuit regions,

said image sensor elements being responsive to a visual image signal having a first wavelength, while said first and second crossing points are simultaneously responsive to light of a second wavelength for controlling the juncture intensity between said neuron circuit regions.

4. The information processing element of claim 3 wherein the matrix of neuron circuit regions comprises an N×

M matrix of neuron circuit regions, where N and M are integers.

5. The information processing element of claim 4 wherein the first plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors comprises 2N semi-transparent electrical conductors which transverse N neuron circuit regions.

6. The information processing element of claim 5 wherein the second plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors comprises 2M semi-transparent electrical conductors which transverse, in the second direction, N neuron circuit regions, each of the 2M semi-transparent electrical conductors transversing at least two portions of a neuron circuit region.

7. The information processing element of claim 3 wherein each of said image sensor elements comprise:

a lower electrode produced on the surface of said semiconductor substrate and connected to the input electrode of one of said neuron circuit regions;

a photoelectric juncture layer coupled to the lower electrode and selected of the first plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors; and

an upper electrode coupled to the lower electrode.

8. The information processing element of claim 7 wherein the photoelectric juncture layer of said image sensor elements comprises a portion of the first heterojunction molecular film.

9. The information processing element of claim 3 wherein one of the first and second heterojunction molecular films comprises organic molecules.

10. The information processing element of claim 9 wherein one of the first and second heterojunction molecular films comprises a layer of polyphirin derivative having a layer of flavine derivative disposed thereon.

11. An information processing element comprising:

a semiconductor integrated circuit element having a plurality of neuron circuit regions, each of said neuron circuit region having an input electrode and an output electrode, said neuron circuit regions arranged into a matrix configuration;

a first heterojunction molecular film having photoconductive characteristics and disposed on said semiconductor integrated circuit element;

a first plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors disposed on said first heterojunction molecular film in a first direction so as to transverse the output electrodes or the input electrodes of at least one neuron circuit region to form a first crossing point;

a second heterojunction molecular film having photoconductive characteristics and disposed on said first heterojunction molecular film and said first plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors; and

a second plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors disposed on the second molecular film in a second direction so as to transverse the output electrodes or the input electrodes of a plurality of the neuron circuit regions to form a second crossing point;

the first crossing point and second crossing point being sensitive to light to control the intensity of the juncture between the neuron circuit regions.

12. The information processing element of claim 11 wherein the matrix of neuron circuit regions comprises an N×

M matrix of neuron circuit regions, where N and M are integers.

13. The information processing element of claim 12 wherein the first plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors comprises 2N semi-transparent electrical conductors which transverse N neuron circuit regions.

14. The information processing element of claim 13 wherein the second plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors comprises 2M semi-transparent electrical conductors which transverse, in the second direction, N neuron circuit regions, each of the 2M semi-transparent electrical conductors transversing at least two portions of a neuron circuit region.

15. The information processing element of claim 11 further in combination with a plurality of image sensor elements, each image sensor element coupled to one of said neuron circuit regions.

16. The information processing element of claim 15 wherein each of said image sensor elements comprise:

a lower electrode produced on the surface of said semiconductor substrate and connected to the input electrode of one of said neuron circuit regions;

a photoelectric juncture layer coupled to the lower electrode and selected of the first plurality of semi-transparent electrical conductors; and

an upper electrode coupled to the lower electrode.

17. The information processing element of claim 16 wherein the photoelectric juncture layer of said image sensor elements comprises a portion of the first heterojunction molecular film.

18. The information processing element of claim 17 wherein said image sensor elements are responsive to a visual image signal having a first wavelength while said first and second crossing points are simultaneously responsive to light of a second wavelength for controlling the intensity at the juncture between said neuron circuit regions.

19. The information processing element of claim 11 wherein one of the first and second heterojunction molecular films comprises organic molecules.

20. The information processing element of claim 19 wherein one of the first and second heterojunction molecular films comprises a layer of polyphirin derivative having a layer of flavine derivative disposed thereon.