IEDM Gives Sneak Peek into Potential Future Chips

Many important processors and other semiconductors that run our PCs and servers started life in the lab and became research papers that were presented and discussed at major technical conferences. One such conference, the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), will again present the latest research in semiconductors and related technologies that could portend of future of electronics.

IEDM will take place in San Francisco from December 9th through 13th and will encompass technical sessions, short courses, focus sessions, and tutorials. The breadth and depth of covered topics represent the state-of-art in semiconductor research. More details on many of the conference papers can be found here.

Here are some notable themes at this year’s IEDM:

Transistor Scaling Goes Vertical

TSMC, Intel and others will present papers on various ways to stack silicon devices vertically, in 3D configurations, to continue to achieve the improvements in performance, power, area and cost that have characterized the semiconductor industry. TSMC will also present more exploratory research, going beyond silicon-based CMOS technology, describing the use of other materials in transistors, which can lead to smaller devices.

Memory Advances

While DRAM has long been the key memory component of electronic systems, some have predicted the scaling of DRAM will come to an end. But there’s plenty of research going on in this area. Samsung will describe a new approach, using transistors with vertical channels that are made from an alternative alloy.  Micron Technology will propose a way to make a non-volatile memory with DRAM-like speed; two characteristics that normally don’t go together.

3D is Growing 

IEDM will present papers discussing ways to stack devices in 3D configurations. But 3D stacking is not just happening with logic and memory devices, but with sensors, power, neuromorphic and other devices as well. What’s promising is that many of the papers highlight specific hardware demonstrations that show at least some potential for commercialization.

Neuromorphic Computing Advances 

Neuromorphic, or brain-like, computing continues to attract growing interest. One noteworthy paper, from China’s Tsinghua University, describes a device that offers GPU-like accuracy but with far less energy use and inference time.

Other Notable Presentations

Researchers from ETH-Zurich university will discuss how they achieved record RF performance for a particular type of transistor used in high-speed, power-efficient devices. Their double-heterojunction bipolar transistor (DHBT) achieved a record average frequency of 800 GHz, and showed record performance in cryogenic conditions.

Samsung researchers will unveil the smallest pixels ever developed for CMOS imagers, pointing the way to higher-resolution imaging systems.

In the area of neural computing, researchers from Belgium’s Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) will present a paper describing an implantable neural probe that simultaneously stimulates the brain optically and reads electrical signals from it. This technology could lead to developing powerful tools for studies of brain activity.

For more information on IEDM, go here.