Collaborative Research: CNS Core:Small:IMPERIAL: In-Memory Processing Enhanced Racetrack Inspired by Accessing Laterally

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Next generation mobile systems require memory and storage with unprecedented density and access speed that meets strict power/energy and reliability constraints. Moreover, these systems can benefit from application specific acceleration on data intensive workloads. For instance, Internet of Things (IoT) devices are tasked with acquiring, storing, and processing vast amounts of acquired information. Edge systems may slightly relax power/energy constraints, but can benefit from acceleration of machine learning, security, or other application specific tasks while maintaining quality of service on tasks from simultaneous disparate users. This project explores applying a new and understudied emerging memory technology called domain-wall memory (DWM) and its application to the needs of mobile and edge devices. DWM has properties that can be exploited to increase storage density, access speed, and to relieve the memory access bottleneck that exists in modern systems. The PIs will leverage their expertise to create a cross-layer design approach spanning the device/circuit- through system-level to develop a novel cross-DWM (XDWM) memory architecture with lateral read and write access capabilities. These innovations will revolutionize storage and processing for next generation mobile and edge devices by providing synergistic data storage and efficient processing-in-memory (PIM) with hooks for reliability. A cross-layer evaluation methodology will be adopted to cover prototype fabrication, device-level characterization, architecture-level simulation, and full system integration and emulation to explore the PIM. The transformative nature of this research is a disruptive new memory system that is dense, reliable, energy-efficient, ultra low latency with compute capability that can revolutionize the storage and processing capabilities of next generation computing systems. Such systems particularly include IoT, mobile and secure shared use edge systems but also apply to high performance computing and cloud systems. Further impacts of the proposed research include the integration of various education and advocacy activities based on the resources available to the two PIs such as (i) outreach for local K-12 students through Pitt's “Investing Now” summer school and USF's “Engineering Day” and Expo, where Engineering solutions are showcased to approximately 10,000 K-12 students/parents/teachers. (ii) inclusivity: Both PIs have a track record of including Under-represented Minority (URM) students.. They will continue to focus on URM representation in their team. (iii) curriculum: course integration of the research at both sites.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.