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The future of IC design

JULY 14, 2016 <  COMMENTS 0 <

HTTPS://WWW.EDN.COM/THE-FUTURE- HTTPS://WWW.EDN.COM/THE-
OF-IC-DESIGN/> FUTURE-OF-IC-
BY R COLIN JOHNSON < DESIGN/#RESPOND>
HTTPS://WWW.EDN.COM/AUTHOR/R-COLIN-
JOHNSON/>

< http://www.edn.com/collections/4441975/edn-s-60th-anniversary-
collection> To celebrate 60 years of EDN, we’re looking into the future
to predict what advancements will be made in IC Design in the next 60
years. By 2076 3-D room-temperature, superconducting, quantum,
neuromorphic, and photonic mixed-signal devices will be the common
denominator for all integrated circuit designs. Design tools will be so
sophisticated that even novice designers will be able to mix and match
these technologies into system-in-package designs that solve all application problems behind the
scenes. Users will be so used to extensions to their innate brain capabilities that the technologies
which perform the tasks will be taken for granted, leaving the engineering community—and its
robotic assistants—on a unique echelon of society that actually understands how the world works.

3D stacked memories

BeSang’s 3D stacked memories integrate memory cells in the vertical direction atop standard
complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) logic, therefore boosting memory density in the
smallest possible footprint. Unlike 3D NAND, BeSang's 3D stacked-memory designs can be applied
to almost any type for memory including DRAM, NAND- and NOR-flash. BeSang believes its
architecture will expand silicon memories’ lifespan for at least 20 years after the end of Moore’s Law
and maybe even to 2076.

BeSang's 3D Super-NOR is a thousand times faster than today's NAND on a

NVDIMM.
Source: BeSang
In comparison with conventional designs, BeSang's 3D Super-NOR (pictured) is a thousand times
faster than today's NAND on a NVDIMM. Also, it is significantly cheaper than DRAM and shows
1,000× better endurance compared to ordinary 3D NAND, according to BeSang. The technology
has been successfully developed, licensed to Hynix, but is ready for product development by other
IC houses too. On top of conventional memory logic, high density semiconductor memory cells
using vertical pillar transistors are implemented with an extremely simple fab investment. BeSang
claims products based on its reference designs could be introduced to the commercial market within
two years and can be expected to serve the memory market for 20+ years, replacing HDD, SSD,
and embedded cache memories for high performance CPUs, GPUs, and APs.

Also see :

– First 3-D ICs debut < http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1309921>

– True 3D Chips Harness Nanotubes < http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?
doc_id=1325059>
– 3D chip/package/PCB co-design optimizes systems <
http://www.edn.com/design/pc-board/4440327/3d-chip-package-pcb-co-design-
optimizes-systems--product-how-to>

1. 3D stacked memories
2. Growing InGaAs transistor channels < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/2/the-future-of-ic-design>
3. Neuromorphic cognitive computing chips <
http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-design/4442375/2/the-future-of-ic-
design#cognitivecomputing>
 4. Nanowire all-around gates < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-
design/4442375/2/the-future-of-ic-design#gaa>
5. 5G infrastructure and RF transistors < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/3/the-future-of-ic-design>
6. Carbon nanotube transistors < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-
design/4442375/3/the-future-of-ic-design#nanotube>
7. Through-silicon-vias becomes obsolete < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/3/the-future-of-ic-design#tsv>
8. Superconducting niobium quantum computer <
http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-design/4442375/4/the-future-of-ic-
design>
9. 3D MEMS biometric detector < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-
design/4442375/4/the-future-of-ic-design#biometricdetector>
10. Integrated nano-photonics technology < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/4/the-future-of-ic-design#nanophotonics>

Growing InGaAs transistor channels

Source: IBM
IBM will be growing InGaAs transistor channels on future chips in the upward direction from a seed.
Here a defect (left) starts the growth which continues growth across the wafer virtually defect-free.
Next the ends are etched off, leaving a perfectly non-strained crystalline transistor channel (green)
of III-V material atop a buried oxide (BOX) on a standard silicon substrate (no need for silicon on
insulator–SOI) with a metal source, drain and gate (grey) using a high-k dielectric (red) all
surrounded by an interlayer dielectric (yellow) of silicon dioxide.

Neuromorphic cognitive computing chips

 Source: IBM
IBM's Neuromorphic Cognitive Computing Chip (left) measures about 3-millimeter square
but has the ability to play (and win) against a human in computer games and can also read
written letters, even when written by different hands. Using banks of IBM's TrueNorth
neuromorphic supercomputing chips (right), the mixed-signal semiconductor in standard
CMOS could replace the conventional digital computer by 2076.

Nanowire all-around gates

These transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of an NMOS GaAs FinFET show an
overview of the silicon nanowire array (a) and a detailed view of two stacked silicon
nanowires (b). The gate-all-around (GAA) n- and p-type MOSFETs are made of vertically
stacked horizontal silicon nanowires with a diameter of only 8-nanometers. The devices,
which were fabricated on bulk silicon substrates using an industry-relevant replacement
metal gate process, have performance levels comparable to FinFET reference devices
according to Imec, with shallow trench isolation (STI) densification at 750 degrees Celsius
resulting in sharp silicon-germanium to silicon interfaces, which is essential for well-
controlled silicon-nanowire release and to suppress the bottom parasitic channel.

Also see :
– Moore’s Law Goes Post-CMOS < http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?
doc_id=1328835>
 – MIT integrates InGaAs in 22-nm design flow <
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1262878>
– The electronic brain gets closer < http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/tech-
edge/4402372/the-electronic-brain-gets-closer->
– IBM demos cognitive computer chips < http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?
doc_id=1260085>

1. 3D stacked memories < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-

design/4442375/the-future-of-ic-design>
2. Growing InGaAs transistor channels
3. Neuromorphic cognitive computing chips
4. Nanowire all-around gates
5. 5G infrastructure and RF transistors < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/3/the-future-of-ic-design#5g>
6. Carbon nanotube transistors < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-
design/4442375/3/the-future-of-ic-design#nanotube>
7. Through-silicon-vias becomes obsolete < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/3/the-future-of-ic-design#tsv>
8. Superconducting niobium quantum computer <
http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-design/4442375/4/the-future-of-ic-
design>
9. 3D MEMS biometric detector < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-
design/4442375/4/the-future-of-ic-design#biometricdetector>
10. Integrated nano-photonics technology < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/4/the-future-of-ic-design#nanophotonics>

5G infrastructure and RF transistors

 Source: NXP
See this NXP/Freescale timeline <
http://www.edn.com/contenteetimes/documents/edn/nxp_rebrand_timeline.pdf> (part of which
is shown above), and work your way forward to solid state RF cooking (see below), 5G
infrastructure, and smart stadiums using RF transistors that will continue to make capacity records
(records were broken at Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium). Smart cities will be able to profit from the
same technologies, while ICs advance self-driving cars and serve as “an extension of our minds,”
not only to keep us organized but also to improve our predictive healthcare, according to the “father
of the cell phone,” Martin Cooper, who invented it in 1973 < http://www.edn.com/electronics-
blogs/edn-moments/4411258/1st-mobile-phone-call-is-made--april-3--1973> while at Motorola
(Freescale's predecessor).
 Source: NXP
We'vecome a long way since the “brick” style cell phone invented by MartinCooper. By 2076,
however, the cell phone will have become an extensionof our minds with a brain-implanted interface
that keeps us organized,predicts our needs, and serves as our sole payment device. There
will,along the way, be a number of intermediate stages with a gradual changein form factor evolving
toward the brain implant. NXP < http://www.nxp.com/rf> currently claims to be the leading provider
of RF power amplifiers tocellular base stations, and pledges to stay at the forefront of thecellular
innovation for the next 60 years (see image above).

Source: NXP
By 2076 all devices will have wirelessly recharged energy sources. Leading the charge today
is NXP's Wayv Adventurer < http://www.nxp.com/wayv> the world's first portable, battery-
powered RF cooking appliance. NXP partnered with Wayv < http://www.wayvtech.com/#wayv> to
bring battery-powered RF cooking to the commercial market. By replacing heavy, inefficient
microwave hardware with solid state RF, consumers can rapidly heat food anytime, anywhere. The
Wayv Adventurer is a microwave on-the-go solution for camping trips or generally for anyone on the
go. Beginning as a lightweight solution for soldiers out in the field heating rationed food packets it
excelled with silent operation and without the need for ambient light while on covert missions. Now it
is available for any consumer and will be followed by a chain reaction of solid state devices that
gradually obsolete every small appliance powered by AC today.

Predictive medicine enabled by RF transistors

Source: NXP
Predictive medicine is being enabled by high-power RF transistors configured as diagnostic tools.
As 2076 approaches, our healthcare system will become much more predictive and non-invasive as
RF power solutions continue to advance medical applications, according to NXP.

Today's main applications include MRI; ablation to reduce tissue size or remove tissue through
surgery; diathermy for treatment of arthritis, back pain, muscle spasms, sprains, strains, and bone
injuries; and cosmetic therapy especially for skin treatment.

The history of medicine is rich in RF applications, according to NXP. For instance, in 1891 Nikola
Tesla < http://www.edn.com/collections/4397088/nikola-tesla> noted that high frequency
currents produced heat in the body and suggested its use in medicine. Around the same time,
Jacques-Arsine d’Arsonval < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/jacques-arsène-d'arsonval>
discovered that frequencies above 10 kHz did not cause the physiological reaction of electric shock,
but instead produced tissue warming. And medical diathermy, electrically induced heat by virtue of
the use of high-frequency electromagnetic currents, began to be used as a form of physical or
occupational therapy and in surgical procedures around the turn of the 20th century. Diathermy was
pioneered in 1907 by German physician Karl Franz Nagelschmidt, who coined the term.

Today medicine has amassed a vast catalog of what frequencies heat which materials, and LDMOS
(laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor) RF power transistors are ramping up, making the
magnetrons like those used in microwave ovens a thing of the past.
The advantages for healthcare patients in using RF transistors over magnetrons include: precise
control, ease of use, reliability and small size/low weight, making futuristic predictive healthcare <
http://www.nxp.com/products/rf/rf-power-transistors/rf-industrial-scientific-and-medical:rf-
ism> a reality.

Carbon nanotube transistors

Here a new carbon-nanotube contact shows how the fabricated nanotube transistor can be end-
bonded at lengths below 10 nanometers. And since nanotubes themselves measure just 1.2-
nanometers in diameter, but can measure up to 100 microns in length, they still may extend the end
of the silicon roadmap circa 2023.

Through-silicon-vias becomes obsolete

In the future, through-silicon-vias (TSVs) will be obsoleted by micron scale “bumps,” here in
“grown” fields of carbon nanostructures (black), for advanced packaging technologies. All
IC designs will become systems-in-package, with all tasks performed by a group of
processors, mixed-signal accelerators, and input-output channels customized for a
particular application.

Also see :
– 5G base station architecture, Part 1: Evolution <
http://www.edn.com/design/analog/4439467/5g-base-station-architecture--part-1--
evolution->
– 5G Work Starts in Earnest < http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?
doc_id=1329434>
– The first killer app for 5G wireless may not even be mobile <
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/test-cafe/4442274/the-first-killer-app-for-
5g-wireless-may-not-even-be-mobile>
– Through-silicon vias, oxide bonding accelerate 3D IC development <
http://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4325845/through-silicon-vias-oxide-
bonding-accelerate-3d-ic-development>
– Electromagnetic modeling of three dimensional integrated circuits <
http://www.edn.com/design/eda-design/4375556/electromagnetic-modeling-of-
three-dimensional-integrated-circuits>

1. 3D stacked memories < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-

design/4442375/the-future-of-ic-design>
2. Growing InGaAs transistor channels < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/2/the-future-of-ic-design#ingaas>
 3. Neuromorphic cognitive computing chips <
http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-design/4442375/2/the-future-of-ic-
design#cognitivecomputing>
4. Nanowire all-around gates < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-
design/4442375/2/the-future-of-ic-design#gaa>
5. 5G infrastructure and RF transistors
6. Carbon nanotube transistors
7. Through-silicon-vias becomes obsolete
8. Superconducting niobium quantum computer <
http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-design/4442375/4/the-future-of-ic-
design#quantumcomputer>
9. 3D MEMS biometric detector < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-
design/4442375/4/the-future-of-ic-design#biometricdetector>
10. Integrated nano-photonics technology < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/4/the-future-of-ic-design#nanophotonics>

Superconducting niobium quantum computer

Source: D-Wave
Pictured here is the cutting edge in next-generation IC Design, the 512-bit D-Wave superconducting
niobium quantum computer on a silicon substrate. By 2076 all computers could become room
temperature superconducting, mixed-signal, 3-D quantum computers. A single millimeter cubed die
could be faster than our fastest multi-processors today, but will be a single-processor multi-threaded
device. Multi-core processors will be heterogenous and relegated only to applications that have a
clear division of labor among their functions. Any single computing task will be able to be performed
by one superconducting quantum computer of appropriate bit-width, eliminating the need for
conventional parallel programming in favor of cognitive algorithms modeled on the human brain.
Quantum effects

Diamond containing high concentrations of quantum-relevant color centers

Source : Dr. Jonathan Newland, Postdoctoral Research Assistant; University of
Warwick
Quantum effects already underpin many semiconductors including tunneling and even silicon
transistors and lasers. However the full potential of quantum effects to transform our lives across
computation, sensing, and biological sciences is still in the early stages of development. Quantum
effects impart the ability to manipulate and control processes in new material systems that are not
possible today—from enabling rapid point-of-care disease diagnosis and improved drug delivery, to
facilitating ultimately secure future telecommunication. Man-made diamond is a material that
Element Six and many others have demonstrated is ideal for quantum technology development.
Diamond has unique properties, according to Element Six, that will enable the world of computing to
be revolutionized. By 2076, Element Six claim, we will witness these innovations not only in
computing, but biocomputing where its stability and biocompatibility will be combined with the
emerging understanding of how to engineer and control quantum point defects within diamond.

3D MEMS biometric detector

 Source: University of California
Biometric identification will become ubiquitous by 2076, moving from today's fingerprint and
retinal scanners to complete biorhythm scanners unique to each individual. Here biometrics
are realized by a 3D microelectromechanical system (MEMS) merged with mixed-signal
processors. Pictured here are the various layers, vias, and other structures that make a 3D
MEMS biometric detector compatible with its underlying CMOS application specific
integrated circuit (ASIC).

Integrated nano-photonics technology

By 2076 all on-chip, between-chip, between-board, and between-system signals could be
carried by encoded light. Here a fab-cassette carries several hundred chips for 100 Gigabit
per second transceivers, diced from a single CMOS wafer using IBM's Integrated Nano-
Photonics Technology (INPT), which integrates optical and electrical devices on the same
monolithic chip. In the future, the most complicated processing will likely be performed by
on-chip optical devices as well as by single-electron devices encoding bits with spintronics.
What are your predictions for the future of IC design?

1. 3D stacked memories < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-

design/4442375/the-future-of-ic-design>
2. Growing InGaAs transistor channels < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/2/the-future-of-ic-design#ingaas>
3. Neuromorphic cognitive computing chips <
http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-design/4442375/2/the-future-of-ic-
design#cognitivecomputing>
4. Nanowire all-around gates < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-
design/4442375/2/the-future-of-ic-design#gaa>
5. 5G infrastructure and RF transistors < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/3/the-future-of-ic-design#5g>
6. Carbon nanotube transistors < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-
design/4442375/3/the-future-of-ic-design#nanotube>
7. Through-silicon-vias becomes obsolete < http://www.edn.com/design/integrated-
circuit-design/4442375/3/the-future-of-ic-design#tsv>
8. Superconducting niobium quantum computer
9. 3D MEMS biometric detector
10. Integrated nano-photonics technology

R. Colin Johnson has been a technology editor on EE Times since 1986.He's the author of “
Cognizers–Neural Networks and Machines that Think < https://www.amazon.com/cognizers-
networks-machines-science-editions/dp/0471611611> .”

Also see :

– 3-D Fingerprint Scanner Beats Apple’s < http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?

doc_id=1327051>
– IBM Demos CMOS Silicon Photonics < http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?
doc_id=1326576>
– Nanophotonics drive next-generation data rates <
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/other/4363860/nanophotonics-drive-next-
generation-data-rates>
– A leap into quantum computing < http://www.edn.com/electronics-
blogs/quantum-leap/4433900/a-leap-into-quantum-computing>
 – Is D-Wave a Quantum Computer? < http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?
doc_id=1326592>

More predictions :

– Life as a system designer in 2076 < http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-s-

60th-anniversary-collection/4442556/life-as-a-system-designer-in-2076>
– Engineering the future of space exploration <
http://www.edn.com/design/systems-design/4442568/engineering-the-future-of-
space-exploration>
– Will there still be PCBs in 60 years? < http://www.edn.com/design/pc-
board/4442496/will-there-still-be-pcbs-in-60-years->
– Soon components will shrink to invisibility <
http://www.edn.com/design/components-and-packaging/4442492/soon-
components-will-shrink-to-invisibility>
– 10 predictions for the next 60 years in analog electronics <
http://www.edn.com/design/analog/4442479/10-predictions-for-the-next-60-years-
in-analog-electronics>
– LEDs will inherit the world < http://www.edn.com/design/led/4442454/leds-will-
inherit-the-world>
– The tyranny of numbers: Sensors in the next 60 years <
http://www.edn.com/design/sensors/4442436/the-tyranny-of-numbers--sensors-
in-the-next-60-years>
– What does the future hold for medical technology? <
http://www.edn.com/design/medical/4442412/what-does-the-future-hold-for-
medical-technology->
– Wireless networking will cover the world < http://www.edn.com/design/wireless-
networking/4442396/wireless-networking-will-cover-the-world>
– 10 predictions for the next 60 years in power electronics <
http://www.edn.com/design/power-management/4442335/10-predictions-for-next-
60-years-in-power-electronics>
– The next 60 years in consumer electronics <
http://www.edn.com/design/consumer/4442358/the-next-60-years-in-consumer-
electronics>
– EDN’s 25th anniversary predictions for 2006, 10 years later <
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-s-60th-anniversary-
collection/4442405/edn-predictions-for-2006--10-years-later>
– All of EDN’s 60th Anniversary coverage <
http://www.edn.com/collections/4441975/edn-s-60th-anniversary-collection>
circuits/#comment-27667>

Experientia.docet on Limitations of two-port analysis of negative feedback circuits <

https://www.edn.com/limitations-of-two-port-analysis-of-negative-feedback-
circuits/#comment-27666>

Experientia.docet on Slope Compensation in PCMC DC-DC Converters <

https://www.edn.com/slope-compensation-in-pcmc-dc-dc-converters/#comment-27665>

harshal on Anritsu adds LTE software to MD8430A signaling tester <

https://www.edn.com/anritsu-adds-lte-software-to-md8430a-signaling-tester/#comment-
27664>

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