GAITHERSBURG, Md. - Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), and the Commerce Department’s National Institute of  Standards and Technology (NIST) announced a public-private partnership to support research and innovation in the area of nanoelectronics.

The research is focused on replacing the Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (CMOS FET), because the technology (the backbone of current computing) is considered a limiting factor to next generation computing advancements.  

Nanoelectronics is an emerging technology area that focuses on the distinct characteristics of nanometer-scale materials and the potential for revolutionary technology advances based on the unique material properties of nano materials. The goal of this effort is to develop the next generation building blocks for computers. The group has set an aggressive timeline of 5-10 years to demonstrate feasibility of these next generation semiconductor devices.

NIST will supply $2.76 million in funding over the next 12 months. NIST funding combined with industry participation will generate about $4 million in new grants. The five year funding goal is $18.5 million. Projects will be identified by the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI). NRI coordinates research in nanoelectronics among major universities across the country. 

The collaboration between NIST and NRI will contribute directly to a primary goal of NRI, the development of an electronic component that can replace the conventional CMOS FET in the year 2020 and beyond.

The NRI coordinates research in nanoelectronics among several universities in the U.S. To accelerate the work, three major research centers have been established by NRI.

The centers are Western Institute of  Nanoelectronics (WIN), based in California; Institute for Nanoelectronic  Discovery and Exploration (INDEX), based in New York; and Southwest Academy for Nanoelectronics (SWAN), based in Texas.