Future Technology Trends

Researchers are searching for novel processor architectures. Trying to supplant current CMOS for a variety of applications seems like challenging feat. A recent undertaking will combine a few fresh concepts to gain this capability. A spintronic and straintronic microchip is one potential avenue to make this outcome a reality. A US government agency has given a 1.5 million dollar grant to the Virginia Commonwealth University under the banner of the “nanoelectronics for 2020 and beyond” competition. One of the goals of this venture is to develop neuromorphic CPUs that have unique properties. By processing information in a manner similar to a real brain, the electronics would be more efficient than any conceivable hardware. They hope to demonstrate improved image processing capabilities with these synthetic neural networks. The nodes communicate by interactions between spin wave circuits and the multiferroic magnetic cells. Since it operates like a biological mind, it won’t need software to carry out tasks.  Read More »

A European project is seeking to develop a unique neural chip.  It is called nanobrain and would be a CPU based on a memristive platform.  This is a hardware version of an artificial neural network but will use a relatively novel technology.  Spintronics has been around in the preliminary stages for decades.  The spin of an electron is a quantum mechanical phenomenon that could be utilized to store and process information.  Scientists have faced considerable difficulties in introducing more intricate appliances based on this science.  It has found rudimentary uses in current hard drives.  Room temperature spintronic transistors have been long sought after and some good progress has been made in this domain recently.  Julie Grollier is the the main scientist working on this nanobrain device. Read More »