Grant Application for: Cross-disciplinary Semiconductor Research (CSR)

Overview

SRC-GRC is soliciting grant applications in Cross-disciplinary Semiconductor Research.

The goal of CSR is to foster exploratory, multi-disciplinary, high-risk university research leading to novel high-payoff solutions for the science and technology challenges faced by the semiconductor industry at and beyond the time horizons of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). Successful CSR projects will offer innovative and, hopefully, disruptive solutions to the challenge of enabling exponential gains in cost/performance benefits provided by the semiconductor industry for the foreseeable future, and may lead to novel applications for this industry and may enhance the population of non-traditional researchers/out of box thinkers working with the SRC.

The role of this program is to stimulate non-traditional thinking about the issues facing the semiconductor industry. It is intended to seed new research and programs for the SRC-GRC, SRC-FCRP, and SRC-NRI. Consistent with the incubator role of the initiative, these will be 1 year non-overhead bearing grants and the funding level is $40K. Awardees are encouraged to develop a proposal for follow-on funding of expanded programs by the SRC-GRC, SRC-FCRP or other agencies. Follow-on funding will depend on the availability of funds and strategic plan alignment.

Scope

The scope of this solicitation is Novel Embeddable Microsystems.

A trend, synergistic with scaling, is the use of semiconductor technologies for diverse integrated systems applications. This trend is called 'Functional Diversification' and is characterized by the integration of non-CMOS devices with the traditional CMOS platform. Functional diversification is empowered by continued dimensional scaling for integrated circuit devices and is fundamentally a cross-disciplinary activity. A specific application will drive specific technology requirements in areas such as system architectures, energy sources, sensors, packaging, etc.

In 2008, SRC is seeking new concepts for micro-systems that can be embedded within integrated circuit chips to provide functional diversification. Proposed embedded micro-systems should offer a pathway to fabrication that is integrable with conventional CMOS processing. Examples of embedded micro-systems could include, but are not limited to, on-chip energy sources, sensor arrays, actuators, communication devices, new embedded nonvolatile memory elements etc. The larger goal is to comprehend additional integrated circuit functionalities that could offer new capabilities beyond the current application space.

Grant Application Guidelines

Responses are limited to 3 pages, using at least a 10-point font, and MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA THE SRC WEB SITE by FRIDAY, MAY 16th, 3 PM EDT/12 PM PDT. Non-compliance with these guidelines may exclude your grant application from consideration.

Please include the following identifying information on your grant application:

• Project title
• Investigator(s)
• University
• Telephone number, mailing address and e-mail address

Please address the following in your grant application:

• Approximately 100 word executive summary
• Problem to be addressed: explain the rationale for the project in terms of the semiconductor industry needs
• Objective: what do you plan to do?
• Novelty: the basic concept and discuss the role of cross-disciplinary research in providing a unique solution to the problem addressed
• Approach: strategy for addressing the problem
• Research output: identify possible research products of a successful research program
• IP: identify pre-existing intellectual property, if any

Timetable and Deadlines

Please direct all technical questions to Dr. Victor Zhirnov, (victor.zhirnov@src.org, 919-941-9454).
All other questions should be directed to Leslie Faiers, (leslie.faiers@src.org, 919-941-9455).