Radiation Effects in Nanoscale Electromechanical Logic Devices and Pathways Toward Robust Computing in Extreme Environment
Abstract
This multidisciplinary project is focused on investigating the fundamentals of interactions between radiation and emerging steep-slope logic building blocks enabled by nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). We propose to perform extensive and systematic experimental studies to explore and quantify the effects caused by various types of radiation upon the properties and functions of NEMS logic switches and basic circuits, and to reinforce experimental observations by analytical and modeling studies. While effects from impacting radiation in conventional Si MOSFETs and mainstream, larger MEMS devices have recently been explored, in genuinely nanoscale structures with advanced materials of critical technological importance, very little is known in the fundamental physics and processes during radiation and nanostructure interactions. Our technical efforts focus on emerging SiC and Si NEMS logic devices that are among the smallest and most robust in air and in harsh environment (demonstrated by CWRU group), and that are constructed in advanced SOI ULSI technologies (from CEA-Leti group). Our devices will be carefully calibrated and exposed to relevant radiation sources (Vanderbilt University group). The overarching objective is to pursue fundamental knowledge, discovery, and understanding of how radiation impact NEMS logic devices in SiC and Si, and to identify and quantify the radiation effects on such nanostructures, particularly on key properties such as threshold voltage, leakage, defects, trapped charge, contact, and lifetime. Through a multidisciplinary collaboration, we aim at discovering fundamental effects of NEMS logic devices due to exposure to radiation sources representative of space and nuclear environments, and attaining comprehensive, in-depth understandings of how these radiations affect NEMS logic performance (e.g., including off-state leakage, on-current, on-voltage, switching speed, etc.), surface and nanocontact properties, reliability and lifetime, etc. By exploring fundamentals and revealing new knowledge in these aspects, this project and its success shall offer guidelines and pathways to allow us to design future NEMS logic devices, and to innovate other disruptive low-power computing devices and paradigms that may be adaptive or entirely resistant to specific radiation, ionizing stimuli, etc., in extreme environments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 26, 2016
- Source ID
- HDTRA11510039
Entities
People
- Philip X-L Feng
Organizations
- Case Western Reserve University
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency