Neuromorphic synapses

1. Neuromorphic synapse apparatus comprising:

a memelement for storing a synaptic weight, the memelement being a phase-change memory cell adapted to exhibit a desired programming characteristic; and

programming logic, responsive to a stimulus prompting update of the synaptic weight, for generating a programming signal for programming the memelement to update said weight, each said programming signal comprising a respective set of n programming pulses applied at an input electrode of said phase-change memory cell;

wherein the programming logic is adapted to control at least one of the programming pulse shape and the value of n such that the programming signals exploit said programming characteristic to provide a desired weight-dependent synaptic update efficacy.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the programming logic is responsive to an input signal indicating an input weight-change value, the programming logic being adapted to generate a programming signal dependent on the input weight-change value.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 including STDP logic for receiving pre-neuron and post-neuron action signals, the STDP logic being adapted to generate said input weight-change value in dependence on time-difference between said action signals.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 including an input terminal for receiving said input signal and an output terminal for providing a synaptic output signal dependent on said synaptic weight, wherein the programming logic is further adapted to control the memelement for producing the synaptic output signal at the output terminal.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the programming logic is responsive to an input signal indicating an input weight-change value and is adapted to generate a programming signal dependent on the input weight-change value, and wherein the dependence of the programming signal on the input weight-change value varies in a predetermined manner over a plurality of input weight-change values so as to provide the desired weight-dependent synaptic update efficacy.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the programming logic is reconfigurable in response to a control signal for dynamically varying the desired weight-dependent synaptic update efficacy.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the memelement has a modulated shape to provide said desired programming characteristic.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the memelement comprises a memristor.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the memelement comprises a resistive memory cell.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the cell comprises a resistive material located between first and second electrodes, and an electrically-conductive component extending in a direction between the electrodes in contact with the resistive material, and wherein the electrically-conductive component is adapted to provide said desired programming characteristic.

11. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the programming signals are adapted to effect peripheral crystallization of an amorphous volume of said phase-change material.

12. A neuromorphic system comprising a pre-neuron circuit for generating a pre-neuron action signal, a post-neuron circuit for generating a post-neuron action signal, and synapse apparatus, the synapse apparatus comprising:

a memelement for storing a synaptic weight, the memelement being a phase-change memory cell adapted to exhibit a desired programming characteristic; and

programming logic, responsive to a stimulus prompting update of the synaptic weight, for generating a programming signal for programming the memelement to update said weight, each said programming signal comprising a respective set of n programming pulses applied at an input electrode of said phase-change memory cell;

wherein the programming logic is adapted to control at least one of the programming pulse shape and the value of n such that the programming signals exploit said programming characteristic to provide a desired weight-dependent synaptic update efficacy, wherein:

the synapse apparatus includes an output terminal connected to the post-neuron circuit;

the programming logic is further adapted to control the memelement for producing a synaptic output signal, dependent on said synaptic weight, at the output terminal; and

said stimulus prompting update of the synaptic weight is dependent on the pre-neuron and post-neuron action signals.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein:

the synapse apparatus includes STDP logic for receiving the pre-neuron and post-neuron action signals, the STDP logic being adapted to generate an input weight-change value in dependence on time-difference between said action signals; and

the programming logic is adapted to generate a said programming signal in response to said input weight-change value.

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the programming logic is responsive to an input signal indicating an input weight-change value, the programming logic being adapted to generate a programming signal dependent on the input weight-change value.

15. The system according to claim 14 including STDP logic for receiving pre-neuron and post-neuron action signals, the STDP logic being adapted to generate said input weight-change value in dependence on time-difference between said action signals.

16. The system according to claim 12 wherein the programming logic is responsive to an input signal indicating an input weight-change value and is adapted to generate a programming signal dependent on the input weight-change value, and wherein the dependence of the programming signal on the input weight-change value varies in a predetermined manner over a plurality of input weight-change values so as to provide the desired weight-dependent synaptic update efficacy.

17. The system according to claim 12 wherein the programming logic is reconfigurable in response to a control signal for dynamically varying the desired weight-dependent synaptic update efficacy.