Molecular Architectures for QCA-inspired Boolean Networks | MOLARNET


Funding period:Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2016
Agency: European Union

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge funding by the European Union project "Molecular Architectures for QCA-inspired Boolean Networks" (MOLARNET)


Description

Achievement of ever higher levels of integration in microelectronics will eventually require a radical shift from the field-effect transistor (FET) based paradigm to a revolutionary approach to computing. Quantumdot Cellular Automata (QCA) is an alternative vision to binary computing since no current flow is required to encode binary information, and has been considered one of the most promising post-Moore alternatives. Implementation and miniaturization of QCA at the molecular level offer important advantages, including the perspective of room temperature operation, an essential step for industrial exploitation. However, the small sizes of the building blocks lead also to severe challenges when addressing the single elementary units.The present proposal specifically addresses the basic requirements to implement molecular QCA-inspired Networks, namely the measurement of the electrostatic interaction between a forced molecule (input) and its neighbour; the investigation of the propagation of a signal in a longer row of molecule (binary line); the implementation and testing of a majority gate.
In particular we will address the following topics:
-Pattern the molecules in controlled positions,
-Contact the single molecules to force the state (inputs) and apply the clock (outputs)
-Set up of a sensitive read-out system to discriminate among the two logic states of the molecule.
-Understand the precise conformation and positioning of the molecules in the built system.
Evaluate the impact of non-idealities with respect to classical QCA on computation.

PARTICIPANTS

Ross Rinaldi
NANO-CNR, Italy

GianPiero Spada
University of Bologna, Italy

Paolo Samorì
Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires, France

Gianaurelio Cuniberti
Technical University of Dresden (TUD), Germany

John J. Boland
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Alessandro Paolo Bramanti
STMicroelectronics, Italy

Molecular Architectures for QCA-inspired Boolean Networks | MOLARNET


Funding period:Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2016
Agency: European Union

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge funding by the European Union project "Molecular Architectures for QCA-inspired Boolean Networks" (MOLARNET)


Description

Achievement of ever higher levels of integration in microelectronics will eventually require a radical shift from the field-effect transistor (FET) based paradigm to a revolutionary approach to computing. Quantumdot Cellular Automata (QCA) is an alternative vision to binary computing since no current flow is required to encode binary information, and has been considered one of the most promising post-Moore alternatives. Implementation and miniaturization of QCA at the molecular level offer important advantages, including the perspective of room temperature operation, an essential step for industrial exploitation. However, the small sizes of the building blocks lead also to severe challenges when addressing the single elementary units.The present proposal specifically addresses the basic requirements to implement molecular QCA-inspired Networks, namely the measurement of the electrostatic interaction between a forced molecule (input) and its neighbour; the investigation of the propagation of a signal in a longer row of molecule (binary line); the implementation and testing of a majority gate.
In particular we will address the following topics:
-Pattern the molecules in controlled positions,
-Contact the single molecules to force the state (inputs) and apply the clock (outputs)
-Set up of a sensitive read-out system to discriminate among the two logic states of the molecule.
-Understand the precise conformation and positioning of the molecules in the built system.
Evaluate the impact of non-idealities with respect to classical QCA on computation.

PARTICIPANTS

Ross Rinaldi
NANO-CNR, Italy

GianPiero Spada
University of Bologna, Italy

Paolo Samorì
Institut de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires, France

Gianaurelio Cuniberti
Technical University of Dresden (TUD), Germany

John J. Boland
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Alessandro Paolo Bramanti
STMicroelectronics, Italy