II-NEW: Robust Carbon Nanotube Technology for Energy-Efficient Computing Systems: A Processing and Design Infrastructure for Emerging Nanotechnologies

该奖项的重点是创建全面的工艺和设计基础设施，以支持和加快针对下一代节能计算系统使用碳纳米管场效应晶体管(CNFET)的强大VLSI技术的研究。CNFET代表着与传统硅技术的重大背离，可能使计算系统的能效比硅-CMOS高一个数量级以上。此外，CNFET技术的一个独特方面使大规模单片三维集成成为可能。然而，在实现这些好处之前，必须克服几个根本挑战。这需要在设备、加工、VLSI设计和CAD以及集成计算系统设计等跨学科领域进行重大发明。因此，需要大量的基础设施，其中建立了健壮且可重复的处理和设计流程(与独立原型不同)。在这个项目中为CNFET VLSI创建了这样一个全面的基础设施，将使新发明的适应和集成变得容易。这将有助于围绕一个通用的CNFET VLSI工艺和设计平台建立一个研究社区，并将为探索新的研究前沿提供独特的机会，并为下一代研究人员和实践者提供扎实的培训。

This award focuses on creating a comprehensive processing and design infrastructure to enable and accelerate research on robust VLSI technology using Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistors (CNFETs) for next generation energy-efficient computing systems. CNFETs represent a significant departure from traditional silicon technologies, and can potentially enable computing systems with more than an order of magnitude better energy efficiency compared to silicon-CMOS. Moreover, a unique aspect of CNFET technology enables massive monolithic three-dimensional integration. However, several fundamental challenges must be overcome before such benefits can be achieved. This requires significant inventions in inter-disciplinary fields of devices, processing, VLSI design and CAD, and integrated computing system design. Hence, a significant amount of infrastructure is required, where robust and repeatable processing and design flows are established (unlike stand-alone prototypes). Such a comprehensive infrastructure for CNFET VLSI, created in this project, will enable easy adaptability and integration of new inventions. This will help build a research community around a common CNFET VLSI processing and design platform.It will also provide unique opportunities for exploring new research frontiers, and solid training of the next generation of researchers and practitioners.