Planning Grant: Engineering Research Center for Micro Ferroelectronics for Devices and Systems: microFeDS

该项目旨在解决随着数据、计算和通信的超指数增长而造成的生存危机的计算能耗上升问题。 当前数字革命的起源始于基于硅的数字技术，并在过去五十年中取得了前所未有的进步。 然而，随着信息系统向以数据为中心的范式转变，它促使人们对计算平台的基本性质进行全面的重新思考-从材料到系统。例如，与传统计算机将内存存储和计算过程分离不同，实现新的计算平台，如认知系统，可解释的人工智能，通信系统等，将受益于将它们融合在一起，导致能源效率和性能的数量级改进。最近在开发高度可扩展的，与工艺技术兼容的铁电材料方面的进展为开发下一代信息处理平台的基础设施提供了一条有前途的途径。这项规划补助金的目的是巩固这一愿景，以建立一个工程研究中心，促进跨堆栈创新，以促进此类系统。来自罗切斯特理工学院、纽约州立大学、宾夕法尼亚大学和弗吉尼亚大学的研究人员，拥有互补的专业知识--从设备到系统和计算算法，将整合这些优势，为一个中心奠定基础，实现下一代计算硬件基础设施。该中心还旨在创建中型研究基础设施，培训未来一代的科学家工程师，以扩大半导体劳动力，以满足节能计算，安全和医疗保健等迫在眉睫的社会需求。技术描述统一的逻辑和存储技术平台提供了一个有前途的途径，以克服传统计算平台所面临的挑战，从摩尔定律缩放放缓，以及冯诺依曼架构的存储瓶颈。新型高尺度铁电体中的超低能量、非易失性极化开关是实现这种统一技术平台的功率、性能、面积和成本效益的有前途的途径。我们建议构思一个中心的微铁电器件和系统（microFeDS），将创建一个基础设施，致力于执行一个全面的研究工作，将跨越从设计，生长和铁电材料的集成，制造铁电器件，电路和系统。除了将这些平台应用于计算之外，我们还将探索该技术在其他领域的各个方面的协同作用，例如微波，铁光子学，微流体，传感器和能量收集。规划活动将需要培养与政府，学术界，国家实验室，行业技术专家，国际机构和教育工作者的合作，以实现铁电子器件与现有电子平台的新功能集成。 主要资助活动包括：1）确立中心的使命和宏伟愿景; 2）确定外部合作伙伴，并邀请他们在中心的规划中进行合作; 3）确定中心的目标、目的和指标; 4）举行联席会议，公布使命，参与方将在技术贡献和更广泛影响的背景下介绍他们的技术工作;该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

AbstractNontechnical Description The project aims to address the rising energy consumption of computing that is posing an existential crisis with super exponential growth of data, computing and communications. The genesis of the current digital revolution started with silicon-based digital technology and has ushered in unprecedented progress over the past five decades. However, as information systems transform to a data-centric paradigm, it motivates a comprehensive rethinking of the fundamental nature of computing platforms- from materials-to-systems. For instance, unlike traditional computers that separate memory storage and computing processes, realizing new computing platforms such as cognitive systems, explainable artificial intelligence, communication systems, etc., would benefit from converging them together, resulting in orders-of-magnitude improvement in energy efficiency and performance. The recent progress in developing highly scalable, and process technology compatible ferroelectric materials provides a promising pathway to developing this infrastructure for the next generation of information processing platforms. The objective of this planning grant is to consolidate this vision to enable setting up an Engineering Research Center that can facilitate across-the-stack innovations to facilitate such systems. Researchers from the Rochester Institute of Technology, the State University of New York, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia, with complementary expertise- ranging from devices to systems and computing algorithms, will integrate these strengths to lay the foundation for a center to realize the next generation of computing hardware infrastructure. The center also aims to create mid-scale research infrastructure for training the future generation of scientists & engineers to expand the semiconductor workforce for imminent societal needs in energy efficient computing, security and healthcare.Technical DescriptionA unified logic and memory technology platform provides a promising pathway to overcome the challenges of conventional computing platforms arising from the Moore’s law scaling slowing down, and the memory bottleneck of the von Neumann architecture. The ultra-low energy, non-volatile polarization switching in new highly scaled ferroelectrics is a promising route the realize the power, performance, area, and cost benefits of such a unified technology platform. We propose to conceptualize a Center for Micro Ferroelectronic Devices and Systems (microFeDS) that will create the infrastructure dedicated to performing a comprehensive research effort that will span from designing, growth and integration of ferroelectric materials, fabrication of ferroelectronic devices, circuits and systems. Besides application of such platforms in computing, we will also explore the synergies of various aspects of this technology in other areas such as microwaves, ferro photonics, microfluidics, sensors, and energy harvesting. Planning activities will entail cultivating collaborations with government, academics, national labs, industry technologists, international institutes, and educators to enable the integration of ferroelectronic devices with new functionalities on to the existing electronic platform. The major grant activities include: 1) establish mission and grand vision of the Center; 2) identify external partners and invite them to collaborate in the planning of the Center; 3) define goals, objectives and metrics for the Center; 4) conduct joint meeting to unveil the mission, where involved parties will present their technical work in the context of technological contributions and broader impacts; 5) writing a compelling proposal; and 6) proposal review and submission.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.