Argonne, Purdue University explore collaborations to advance next-generation microelectronics

From the artificial intelligence explosion to the growing reliance on data-hungry devices like smartphones and tablets, the demand for microelectronics — the tiny silicon components that power these innovations — is soaring.

To meet this need, next-generation microelectronics need to be smaller, faster, more powerful and more energy efficient. But breakthroughs won’t happen in a vacuum. To speed up progress, scientists are taking a multidisciplinary approach on every aspect of microelectronics. They are studying everything from materials and devices to software and manufacturing techniques.

Building on this approach, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory recently joined with Purdue University to identify collaborative areas in technology and research as a springboard for new joint projects.

Hosted by Purdue, the inaugural workshop was the culmination of recent smaller, microelectronics-focused projects and team visits between the institutions, which have a long-standing relationship.

“As devices get smaller and more compact, they start to trap heat and use more electricity. This changes the behavior of the materials. We’re developing advanced materials that overcome these limitations.”  — Amanda Petford-Long, an Argonne Distinguished Fellow and director of Argonne’s Materials Science and the Lab’s Microelectronics Institute.

“The workshop strengthened a very long and robust partnership between Argonne and Purdue,” said Sean L. Jones, Argonne’s deputy laboratory director for science and technology. “Purdue is very strong in microelectronics and semiconductors and is a national leader in educational programs. We’re very excited about this partnership.”

Argonne’s Microelectronics Institute is at the forefront of research in energy-efficient microelectronics and environment-friendly manufacturing, while Purdue is a leader in semiconductor advancements. The university recently launched innovative, interdisciplinary degrees and credentials in semiconductors and microelectronics.

At the workshop, Argonne and Purdue scientists shared work on AI, materials, packaging, advanced imaging and innovations in semiconductor manufacturing.

Advanced materials, materials characterization and packaging emerged as areas with strong potential for collaboration.

Scientists are developing new materials to replace or improve on current materials used in microelectronics. These materials begin to lose valuable properties as electronic devices shrink to atomic levels. Energy efficiency is essential in microelectronics that are projected to consume a quarter of the world’s energy supply by 2030.

“As devices get smaller and more compact, they start to trap heat and use more electricity. This changes the behavior of the materials. We’re developing advanced materials that overcome these limitations,” said Amanda Petford-Long, an Argonne Distinguished Fellow and director of Argonne’s Materials Science division and of the lab’s Microelectronics Institute. “Argonne is focused on developing the energy-efficient microelectronics that are especially essential for AI, which consumes vast amounts of energy.”

World-class multimodal imaging is helping advance materials characterization. Argonne's Advanced Photon Source, a DOE Office of Science user facility, is one of the most powerful X-ray light sources in the world. Argonne’s state-of-the-art electron and X-ray microscopy technology allows researchers to study materials at the atomic scale. Purdue’s Life Science Microscopy Facility features state-of-the-art electron microscopy instrumentation.

“How do we characterize materials from the millimeter down to the nanometer scale?” said Nik Chawla, Ransburg professor of Materials Engineering in the School of Materials Engineering and co-director of Semiconductor Degree Programs at Purdue. “It turns out that we can leverage cutting edge X-ray tomography and electron microscopy techniques to understand material behavior at a microscopic level. Argonne and Purdue have unique and complementary capabilities to answer these questions and accelerate progress.”

The next phase of microelectronics requires an innovative, co-design approach to research. One example is Argonne’s transformative Threadwork Project. Launched in 2021, the project uses a simulation framework that allows researchers to explore interdependencies among materials, physics, architecture and software. Scientists can experiment with different parameters, designs, materials and applications on one integrated system. Threadwork is funded by DOE’s Office of Science.

Building a next-generation workforce

To move projects forward, Argonne and Purdue will pursue funding made available through the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act and other sources. The law authorized roughly $280 billion to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in the U.S. Included is funding for workforce development, which is critical to taking next-generation technology to new heights.

“There is a real push to develop a highly trained, diverse microelectronics workforce to match the growth of federally funded research and new facilities,” Chawla said.

The successful first workshop set the wheels in motion for future meetings down the line.

“We created some new teams, identified some new areas of research and opened the door to expand our joint appointments,” Jones said.

The project is funded by DOE’s Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences program, and Argonne’s Laboratory Directed Research and Development program.