Semiconductor Technology Advanced Research Network (STARNet)*
Abstract
* Formerly titled the Microsystems Research Consortium The Semiconductor Technology Advanced Research Network (STARNet) program is a new government-industry partnership focused on removing the roadblocks to achieving performance needed for future sensing, communication, computing, and memory applications. It combines the expertise and resources from select defense, semiconductor, and information companies with those of DARPA to sponsor an academic base focused on specific technology requirements set by experts in industry and DARPA. The program will involve close collaboration between these experts and the academic base with industry providing 60% of program funding matched by 40% from DARPA. For industry, leveraging funding and expertise with both other companies and DARPA to solve common technical hurdles in a pre-competitive research model is highly attractive. From the government perspective this kind of model also provides unique insight into the directions future commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies will be taking. This perspective assists DARPA in defining the technology gaps where the DoD can make the most out of its limited resources by investing in those areas where the largest technology discrimination can be achieved. This discrimination is key to expanding technological superiority of the United States DoD. Research in STARNet is divided into a discovery thrust (ACCEL) and an integration thrust (NEXT) focused on combining current or emerging technologies to provide new capabilities. ACCEL includes projects governed by virtual academic centers discovering new material systems, devices, and novel computing/sensing architectures. NEXT involves projects on advanced analog and mixed signal, complex system design tools, and alternative computing architectures. As the projects in ACCEL mature it is expected that they will replace the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) based efforts currently in NEXT. The STARNet program is unique. It creates a community where industry and government participate as co-sponsors to guide and learn from a large academic research base, with DoD shaping the goals to have direct impact on important long-range DoD problems. STARNet has a 5-year duration. It is expected that industry and DARPA will continuously evaluate STARNet and their respective challenges to determine if another collaborative program is warranted at the conclusion of the 5-year term.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2014
- Source ID
- 79701a880ba571643fdc4f4ab0981315