SHF: EAGER: Asynchronous Logic for Printed Electronics (ALPE)

California Institute Of Technology, Pasadena CA

Investigators

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory research is to investigate whether asynchronous (clockless) VLSI techniques can accelerate the development of organic field-effect transistors and printing technology for the design and fabrication of flexible electronic circuits. Organic semiconductors are being considered as alternative materials to conventional silicon-based electronics, possibly enabling a new generation of low-cost, mechanically flexible, easily manufactured electronic devices. Asynchronous logic, which does not rely on timing assumption, may be the best design method for such technologies where the parameters are not well controlled and the implementation of a global clock-network is very difficult. The argument is that, since all parameter variations affect the timing, a logic that is independent of the timing and that does not use a clock, will tolerate extreme parameter variations. The main goal of this research is to apply asynchronous logic to the design of digital systems in printed electronics. The hope is that, by relaxing the requirements on the physical parameters imposed by timing constraints, the currrent state of the technology may become ``good enough'' for implementing digital circuits without further improvement. A concrete target is to design and fabricate the very first microcontroller in printed electronics, more specifically with inkjet printer technology. Organic semiconductors will not replace current silicon-based technology as the performance characteristics are very different. But other properties of the devices---low cost, light weight, flexibility, and short fabrication time---open the door to new exciting applications. Obvious ones come to mind: active RFID and smart labels, wearable electronics with health-care and defense applications, biometric and chemical sensors with added intelligence, large-area sensors, active matrix backplane for displays, mobile communications, energy. But probably the most interesting ones are still to be discovered. The idea of being able to print circuits on an inkjet printer with one single type of polymer and in ambient conditions is very appealing because of the potential simplicity and availability of the technique. Comparing the price of a current IC fabrication facility (billions of dollars) to the price of an inkjet printer (thousands of dollars) is enough to appreciate the huge potentials of the technology. An added advantage in an academic environment is that the idea of printing their own circuits would be very exciting to students...