DMREF/Collaborative Research: High-Throughput Discovery, Development, and Demonstration of Material Systems to Enable Low-Power NEMS-Based Computation

DMREF/协作研究：材料系统的高通量发现、开发和演示，以实现基于 NEMS 的低功耗计算

基本信息

批准号：
1334241
负责人：
Robert Carpick
金额：
$ 100万
依托单位：
University of Pennsylvania
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2013
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2013-09-01 至 2017-08-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1334241&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
DMREF Collaborative Research Throughput Discovery

项目摘要

Although they have fueled a global technology revolution, the electronic transistors that lie at the heart of digital logic in computers are very energy-inefficient. To enable lower power computation, sever-al radically different designs to replace or complement transistors are under consideration. One of them is the nanoelectromechanical switch an extremely small device that physically opens and closes to turn signals on and off. These have potential to be up to one million times more energy efficient than transis-tors. However, they suffer from insufficient reliability. Specifically, the electrically conducting contacting surfaces need to be able to open and close up to a quadrillion times without wearing out or becoming con-taminated, and materials that can do this have not yet been developed. This project's objectives are: (1) to understand the failure mechanisms that occur in these switches; and (2) to discover and develop new ma-terials and operating conditions with sufficient reliability. The approach will involve performing compu-tational modeling of failure mechanisms at atomistic scales, and performing nanoscale microscopy exper-iments. Models and experiments will be integrated for high-throughput screening of materials. A large array of candidate materials will be canvassed, selecting those that possess required characteristics includ-ing electrical conductivity, wear resistance, and resistance to oxidation and buildup of contamination. The most promising ones will be tested in prototype nanoscale devices to ultimately identify materials and conditions that enable this new technology.If successful, this research will discover new materials and operating conditions that make nanoelec-tromechanical switches a viable technology for future-generation low-power computers and portable de-vices. This has potential to save large amounts of energy, thus helping to address the environmental, eco-nomic, and security challenges arising from high energy consumption. Furthermore, this work will help maintain U.S. competitiveness in information technology by continuing technological progress in a key economic sector. Students conducting research in the team?s multiple labs will develop strong skills to lead future research in energy-efficient nanodevices, materials science, and tribology. Undergraduate stu-dents will benefit from a unique dual-institution summer internship exchange that will be implemented, and team-taught short-courses at conferences will broadly disseminate insights from these innovations.

尽管他们助长了全球技术革命，但计算机中数字逻辑核心的电子晶体管非常有能力。为了实现较低的功率计算，正在考虑替换或补充晶体管的严重不同的设计。其中之一是纳米机电开关，一种非常小的设备，可以在物理上打开并关闭以打开和关闭信号。这些潜力的能源效率是transis-tors的一百万倍。但是，它们的可靠性不足。具体而言，电动进行接触表面必须能够打开和封闭直至四亿次，而不会磨损或污染，并且尚未开发出可以做到这一点的材料。该项目的目标是：（1）了解这些开关中发生的故障机制；（2）发现和开发具有足够可靠性的新的杂物和操作条件。该方法将涉及对原子量表的失败机理进行构建建模，并进行纳米级显微镜实验。模型和实验将集成以进行材料的高通量筛选。大量候选材料将被拉去，选择具有所需特性的候选材料，包括具有电导率，耐磨性以及对氧化和污染的耐药性。最有希望的纳米级设备将在原型纳米级设备中进行测试，以最终确定能够使这项新技术的材料和条件。如果成功，该研究将发现新的材料和操作条件，从而使纳米电动机械切换成为一种可行的技术，可为未来的生成低功耗计算机和便携式电价提供可行的技术。这有可能节省大量能源，从而有助于应对高能量消耗引起的环境，生态 - 提名和安全挑战。此外，这项工作将通过在关键经济领域继续技术进步来帮助维持美国在信息技术方面的竞争力。在团队多个实验室进行研究的学生将发展强大的技能，以领导能源有效的纳米版，材料科学和摩擦学的未来研究。本科生将受益于将要实施的独特的双重机构暑期实习交流，并且会议上的团队勤奋的肖像将广泛地传播这些创新的见解。