A study on emerging electronics for systems accepting soft errors

Abstract

Moore's law has until today mostly relied on shrinkage of the size of the devices in integrated circuits. However, soon the granularity of the atoms will set a limit together with increased error probability of the devices. How can Moore's law continue in the future? To overcome the increased error rate, we need to introduce redundancy. Applying methods from biology may be a way forward, using some of the strategies that transforms an egg into a fetus, but with electronic cells.A redundant system is less sensitive to failing components. We define electronic clay as a massive redundancy system of interchangeable and unified subsystems. We show how a mean voter, which is simpler than a majority voter, impact a redundant system and how optimization can be formalized to minimize the impact of failing subsystems. The performance at given yield can be estimated with a first order model, without the need for MonteCarlo simulations. The methods are applied and verified on a redundant finite-impulse response filter.The elementary circuit behavior of the memristor, "the missing circuit element", is investigated for fundamental understanding and how it can be used in applications. Different available simulation models are presented and the linear drift model is simulated with Joglekar-Wolf and Biolek window functions. Driven by a sinusoidal current, the memristor is a frequency dependent component with a cut-off frequency. The memristor can be densely packed and used in structures that both stores and compute in the same circuit, as neurons do. Surrounding circuit has to affect (write) and react (read) to the memristor with the same two terminals.We looked at artificial neural network for pattern recognition, but also for self organization in electronic cell array. Finally we look at wireless sensor network and how such system can adopt to the environment. This is also a massive redundant clay-like system.Future electronic systems will be massively redundant and adaptive. Moore's law will continue, not based on shrinking device sizes, but on cheaper, numerous, unified and interchangeable subsystems.v