Communications of the ACM
A Tiny Machine
Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, have designed a functional nanoscale computing device.
Credit: The UC Santa Barbara Current
University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) researchers have developed a design for a functional nanoscale computing device.
The design consists of a dense, three-dimensional (3D) circuit operating on an unconventional type of logic system called material implication logic. In this form of computing, logic operation and information storage happen simultaneously and locally.
The researchers combined the material implication logic with memristors, which were reconfigured from their traditionally two-dimensional architecture into a 3D block. Theoretically, this could be packed into a block no bigger than 50 nanometers on any side.
The UCSB team says processing data directly inside a 3D memory structure would enable more data to be stored and processed much faster. The researchers also say material implication logic could potentially be used in energy-scarce systems such as robotics and medical implants.
"Novel computing paradigms are needed to keep up with the demand for faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient devices," says UCSB postdoctoral researcher Gina Adam. "Since this technology is still new, more research is needed to increase its reliability and lifetime and to demonstrate large-scale three-dimensional circuits tightly packed in tens or hundreds of layers."
From The UC Santa Barbara Current
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