Reliably unreliable nanotechnologies

纳米级电阻开关(RS)元件，也称为忆阻器，由于其无限小的尺寸、每个元件存储多位信息的能力以及写入不同状态所需的极小能量，如今被认为是建立下一代存储器的一种有前途的解决方案。目前，微电子界渴望以确定性的方式利用这些属性，其中信息编码和处理通过静态表示来实现。因此，研究工作集中在以“更摩尔”的方法优化忆阻器技术，以符合现有的CMOS器件属性，即高成品率、最高的重复性、非常长的保持特性和传统的电路设计形式。然而，这些元件的功能性质与不可逆转的限速电/热力学变化有关，这些变化往往使它们处于“远离平衡”的条件下，显示了在概率框架内进行非常规计算的机会。这项研究旨在利用超薄功能氧化物、纳米级电阻开关元件和类似的大规模系统的强劲出现。我们将首先研究量子相变的影响以及导致不同材料的热力学稳定/不稳定长程有序/无序的机制。这些机制随后将在纳米级固态设备中被利用，以在非易失性多状态存储器中建立最先进的技术，但也将在可能被用作动态计算元件的易失性元件中建立最先进的技术。后者的丰富动力学将与自然产生的纳米系统的反应-扩散机制进行比较，以促进新的设计范例和新兴的信通技术应用，以证实非传统计算形式。一个成功的结果将展示成熟的记忆器件制造技术，该技术将得到必要的设计工具的支持，使CMOS技术远远超过其目前的最先进水平。

Nanoscale resistive switching (RS) elements, also known as memristors, are nowadays regarded as a promising solution for establishing next-generation memory, due to their infinitesimal dimensions, their capacity to store multiple bits of information per element and the miniscule energy required to write distinct states. Currently, the microelectronics community aspires exploiting these attributes in a deterministic fashion where information encoding and processing is realised via static representations. In consequence, research efforts are focused on optimising memristor technology in a "More Moore" approach to comply with existing CMOS devices attributes, i.e. high-yield, supreme reproducibility, very long retention characteristics and conventional circuit design formalisms. The functional properties of such elements are however associated with irreversible rate-limiting electro/thermo-dynamic changes that often bring them in "far from equilibrium" conditions, manifesting opportunities for unconventional computing within a probabilistic framework.This fellowship aims exploiting the strong emergence of ultra-thin functional oxides, nanoscale resistive switching elements and large-scale systems of the same. We will first investigate the effect of quantum phase transitions and the mechanisms leading into thermodynamically stable/unstable long-range order/disorder of distinct materials. These mechanisms will then be exploited in nanoscale solid-state devices for establishing the state-of-the-art in non-volatile multi-state memory but also volatile elements that could potentially be employed as dynamic computational elements. The rich-dynamics of the later will be compared against reaction-diffusion mechanisms of naturally occurring nano-systems to facilitate novel design paradigms and emerging ICT applications for substantiating unconventional computation formalisms. A successful outcome will demonstrate a mature memristive device manufacturing technology that will be supported by the necessary design tools, for taking CMOS technology far beyond its current state-of-art.