Bayesian neural network enhancing reliability against conductance drift for memristor neural networks

Yue Zhou, Xiaofang Hu, Lidan Wang, Shukai Duan

Abstract: The hardware implementation of neural networks based on memristor crossbar array provides a promising paradigm for neuromorphic computing. However, the existence of memristor conductance drift harms the reliability of the deployed neural network, which seriously hinders the practical application of memristor-based neuromorphic computing. In this paper, the impact of different types of conductance drift on the weight realized by memristors is investigated and analyzed. Then, utilizing the weight uncertainty introduced by conductance drift, we propose a weight optimization method based on the Bayesian neural network, which can greatly improve the network performance. Furthermore, an ensemble approach is proposed to enhance network reliability without increasing training cost or crossbar array resources. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed scheme is verified through a series of experiments. In addition, the proposed scheme can be easily integrated into the implementation of neuromorphic computing, which can provide a better guarantee for its large-scale application.