CAREER: Enhancing Quality through Probabilistic On-Chip Test

未来的集成电路将在每个芯片上包含数十个、数百个甚至可能1000个内核。然而，实现这一点的扩展技术也会降低底层电路结构的可靠性--导致在制造过程中无法检测到的磨损和缺陷增加。作为回应，PI提出了在芯片上生成新的测试集以识别故障核的基础研究。这些测试将“即时”地创建，并动态地针对核心中最关键的区域。拟议研究的一些关键部分涉及创建和验证硬件监视器，以确定哪些故障对用户的应用程序最重要，使用在线错误检测硬件来诊断导致先前故障的位置，以及分析和开发协议，以便在片上网络环境中高效地创建和传输测试。如果未来多核设备的可靠性不受信任，这些设备的巨大性能优势将无法实现。这项拟议的研究调查了提高这种可靠性的关键工具。综合教育计划为从高中到研究生的多个层次的学生提供研究机会，包括来自代表人数不足的群体的学生。除了从布朗大学招收本科生外，PI还计划与CRA-W DREU(面向本科生的分布式研究经验)项目合作，接待来访的女本科生进行暑期研究。PI还将通过Brown GK-12项目从普罗维登斯公立学校招募高中生，他们中的许多人都是代表性不足的团体的成员，用于夏季研究。

Future integrated circuits will contain tens, hundreds, or possibly even a thousand cores per chip. However, the scaling techniques that will make this possible also make the underlying circuit fabric less reliable-leading to increased wearout and defects that cannot be detected at manufacturing. In response, the PI proposes fundamental research for generating new test sets on-chip to identify failing cores. The tests will be created "on-the-fly" and dynamically targeted to the most critical areas of a core. Some key portions of the proposed research involve the creation and verification of hardware monitors for determining which faults are most important for the user's applications, the diagnostic use of online error detection hardware to pinpoint locations that caused previous failures, and the analysis and development of protocols to efficiently create and transport tests in a network-on-chip environment.The great performance advantages of future multi-core devices will remain unrealized if the reliability of those devices cannot be trusted. The proposed research investigates critical tools for promoting that reliability. The integrated education plan provides research opportunities for students at multiple levels?from high school to graduate school?including students from underrepresented groups. In addition to recruiting undergraduates from Brown, the PI plans to work with the CRA-W DREU (Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program to host visiting female undergraduates for summer research. The PI will also recruit high school students from the Providence Public Schools, many of whom are members of underrepresented groups, for summer research through the Brown GK-12 program.