FuSe-TG: Co-design of Attojoule Multifunction Semiconductor Electronics with Atomic Precision

未来的半导体系统将面临严峻的挑战，因为数据处理的大规模扩展是由人工智能(AI)、机器学习(ML)和集成数据和计算的分布式边缘应用程序的广泛采用推动的。根据2021年半导体研究公司的十年计划，将计算的能效提高100万倍是当务之急。一个引人注目的解决方案是使半导体器件更有能力，即多功能。有带隙的材料并不一定使其成为半导体，直到有杂质离子，即掺杂剂，来调节其电导和其他性质。动员半导体中的掺杂离子打开了一扇几乎有无限机会的窗口。未来的半导体很可能会以创纪录的低焦耳(10-18焦耳)能级以原子精度动态重新配置，这类似于生物突触系统，但性能优于生物突触系统。这笔拨款是为了组建一个团队，为具有原子精度的atJoule半导体材料、多功能器件以及用于未来超低功率计算和存储的智能系统开发模拟和人工智能指导的联合设计框架，从而实现无处不在的人工智能的可持续社会。教育目标是建立一个跨学科的联盟，培养未来一代半导体网络劳动力，他们将通过在高端计算、量子计算和人工智能的结合点创新使用先进的网络基础设施来解决具有挑战性的材料-设备-系统协同设计问题。赠款旨在为具有AJ能耗和原子精度的可重新配置的多功能突触交换建立一个颠覆性范式，从而为高能效边缘计算创造一种新的工业方法。主要创新包括：(1)质子电化学离子突触，它是确定性的，实现了高达焦耳能耗的高速切换；(2)传感器内计算系统，在没有Edge外部电源的情况下处理图像；(3)以基于第一性原理的多尺度模拟和人工智能为指导的突触材料-设备-系统协同设计，从而为半导体的未来(FUSE)提供了一个通用的合理协同设计框架。底层软件套件被开发成可通过CyberFuSe门户访问的CyberFuse培训模块。培训模块在教室中试行，以支持双学位课程(计算机科学或人工智能硕士专业的物理学、材料科学或电气工程博士学位)，并在CyberFuse培训研讨会教授，重点关注代表性不足的群体。此外，这笔助学金还为占全国本科生三分之一以上的社区大学学生提供了职业发展途径。这笔赠款还通过(1)南加州大学女性科学与工程(WISE)计划和(2)由南加州大学、麻省理工学院、斯坦福大学、芝加哥大学、TAMU和霍华德大学的教员联合监督的代表不足的团体进行的本科生研究--这些学院和大学是历史上最古老和最大的黑人学院和大学之一。FUSE团队包括来自SLK America、应用材料和IBM的工业合作伙伴，以加速技术转移，并就研究和未来劳动力需求提供反馈。该项目由半导体未来计划(FUSE)和历史上的黑人学院和大学本科计划(HBCU-UP)联合资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Future semiconducting systems will face formidable challenges due to massive expansion of data processing that is driven by the broad adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and distributed Edge applications that integrate data and computing. It is imperative to increase the energy efficiency of computing million-fold, according to the 2021 Semiconductor Research Corporation decadal plan. A compelling solution is to make semiconductor devices more capable, i.e., multifunctional. A material with a bandgap does not necessarily make it a semiconductor until there are impurity ions, namely dopants, to tune its electrical conductance and other properties. Mobilizing the dopant ions in semiconductors opens a window with nearly infinite opportunities. It is likely that future semiconductors will be dynamically reconfigurable on the fly with atomic precision at record-low attoJoule (10-18 Joule) energy level, which resembles but outperforms biological synaptic systems. This grant is to forge a team for developing a simulation and AI guided co-design framework for attoJoule semiconductor materials with atomic precision, multifunctional devices, and smart systems for future ultralow-power computing and memory, thereby realizing a sustainable society with ubiquitous AI. The educational goal is to establish a cross-disciplinary coalition that trains a future generation of semiconductor cyberworkforce, who will solve challenging material-device-system co-design problems through innovative use of advanced cyberinfrastructure at the nexus of high-end computing, quantum computing and AI.The grant aims to establish a disruptive paradigm for reconfigurable multifunctional synaptic switching with aJ energy consumption and atomic precision, thereby creating a new industrial approach for energy-efficient Edge computing. Key innovations include: (1) Protonic electrochemical ionic synapse that is deterministic and achieves high-speed switching with attoJoule energy consumption; (2) In-sensor computing systems to process images without external power supply at Edge; (3) Synaptic material-device-system co-design guided by first principles-based multiscale simulation and AI, thus providing a generalizable rational co-design framework for the future of semiconductors (FuSe). The underlying software suite is developed into a CyberFuse training module that is accessible through a CyberFuSe portal. The training modules are piloted in classrooms to support a dual-degree program (Ph.D. in physics, materials science or electrical engineering with MS in computer science or AI) and taught in CyberFuse training workshops with a strong focus on underrepresented groups. In addition, the grant provides career pathways to community college students, who constitute more than one third of the nation’s undergraduate students. The grant also broadens participation through (1) USC’s Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program and (2) undergraduate research by underrepresented groups jointly supervised by faculty from USC, MIT, Stanford, CMU, TAMU and Howard - one of the oldest and largest historically black colleges and universities. The FuSe team includes industrial partners from SLK America, Applied Materials and IBM for accelerated technology transfer and feedback on research and future workforce needs.This project is jointly funded by the Future of Semiconductors (FuSe) program and by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP).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.