Design of Programmable Interconnect for Sublithographic Programmable Logic Arrays

Abstract

Sublithographic Programmable Logic Arrays can be interconnected and restored using nanoscale wires. Building on a hybrid of bottom-up assembly techniques supported by conventional lithographic patterning, we show how modestsized PLA logic blocks, which are efficient for implementing logic, can be organized into a segmented, Manhattan mesh interconnection scheme. The resulting programmable architecture has a macro-scale view which is reminiscent of lithographic FPGA and CPLD designs despite the fact that the low-level, sublithographic fabrication techniques used are much more highly constrained than conventional lithography and are prone to high defect rates. Using the Toronto 20 benchmark set, we begin to explore the design space for these sublithographic architectures and show that they may allow us to exploit nanowire building blocks to reach one to two orders of magnitude greater density than 22nm CMOS lithography.

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