Theme 2: Heterogeneous 3D Integration

Theme Leader: Xiuling Li

Future challenges in power delivery and high connectivity may not be addressed by simply scaling down or finessing computing platforms using existing materials; rather, entirely new materials systems and phenomena will have to be exploited.

Integration of photonics, electronics, spintronics, and mixed-signal circuits can yield multi-functional platforms with significantly higher integration density. Additional research is needed to develop hybrid 3D computing platforms in which data movement is minimized by co-locating logic and memory, while also using unconventional materials as the channel and gate dielectrics for energy-efficient logic devices.

We are seeking ideas in new fundamental design rules that will enable the heterogeneous 3D integration of disparate material structures and devices with distinct modalities. Proposals that aim to create novel fabrication pathways for 3D monolithic integration of memory, sensing, and logic functionalities and complemented with novel characterization and multi-scale devices-to-systems modeling techniques are the main focus.