A comparative study on ReLU Implementation using TMDFETs

Abstract

Abstract In this study, we compare the implementation of the rectified linear (ReLU) activation function using transition metal dichalcogenide field-effect transistors (TMDFETs) and metal-oxide-semiconductor FETs (MOSFETs). Five TMDs - MoS 2, MoSe 2, MoTe 2, WS 2, WSe 2 along with three variants (low-power, high-performance, and multi-gate) of the MOSFETs are simulated. Three ReLU circuits utilizing these FETs are employed for the comparison. The power consumption, speed, and accuracy of the ReLU implementation are measured and compared for each circuit and each FET. Our simulation results show that the MOSFETs consume much less power than the TMDFETs and deliver more accurate ReLU functionality. However, the TMDFETs are much faster than the MOSFETs. Among the TMDFETs, the WS 2 FET stands out, as it has higher accuracy, consumes the least power and its power consumption is comparable to the MOSFETs. Additionally, WS 2 is faster compared to MOSFETs, resulting in a trade-off between power efficiency and speed. This makes WS 2 an attractive option for implementing the ReLU activation function.