2000 · 73 citations · 3 references
EngineeringDesign ToolsElectronic Design AutomationComputer ArchitectureQca DesignQuantum ComputingNanoelectronicsComputer DesignQuantum DotsQuantum SimulationParallel ComputingQuantum ScienceElectrical EngineeringQuantum DeviceComputer EngineeringComputer ScienceMicroelectronicsNovel Quantum DotQca DesignsTheoretical Qca MicroprocessorHardware EmulationVlsi ArchitectureFormal Methods
Modern VLSI is approaching a performance wall, prompting research into alternatives such as quantum‑dot cellular automata (QCA), yet little is known about designing complete QCA systems. This study aims to design a simple QCA microprocessor and develop a corresponding design and simulation tool. The authors construct a device model of the processor (its schematic) and develop simulation and testing methods for QCA designs. They present the initial dataflow of a simple QCA CPU and demonstrate a working design and simulation tool for it.
Despite the seemingly endless upw ards spiral of modern VLSI technology, many experts are predicting a hard w all for CMOS in about a decade. Given this, researc hers con tin ue to look at alternative technologies, one of which is based on quan tumdots, called quan tumcellular automata (QCA). While the first such devices have been fabricated, little is kno wn about how to design complete systems of them. This paper summarizes one of the first such studies, namely an attempt to design a complete, albeit simple, CPU in the technology. T o design a theoretical QCA microprocessor, two things must be accomplished. First a device model of the processor must be constructed (i.e. the schematic itself). Second, methods for sim ulatingand testing QCA designs m ust be developed. This paper summarizes the beginnings of a simple QCA microprocessor (namely, its dataflow) and a QCA design and simulation tool.
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