Control of conductivity in neuron-type conducting polymer device

Neuron-type conducting polymers have been prepared electrochemically. The p attern of the network of neuron-type conducting polymers depends on the exp erimental or environmental conditions. The weight of the path in the networ k depends on the shape and the number of the path between the sites. If thi s network of conducting polymer is packed to produce a new device, the devi ce will contain the environmental conditions. Furthermore, the device has t he characteristics of a synapse; it works as neuron device. It is proposed that the conducting polymer gel be used so that a learning effect is added to the path of the network. In the process of swelling or shrinking under s ome solvents, the dopant moves in or out of the conducting polymer Gel. How ever, it has been found that the dopant in the path does not easily move ou t even in the poor solvent when an a.c. voltage of one polarity has been ap plied to the conducting polymer under the liquid-phase doping. Therefore, t his treatment is used in the learning effect or the memory effect, i.e. the learning current or voltage is applied to the neuron-like network conducti ng polymer doped in liquid phase, dry it and drop the poor solvent on the p ath. Hence, this network has many paths with various resistivities. (C) 200 1 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.