Argonne National Laboratory will manage two major research projects on advanced memory systems and design approaches for microelectronic devices under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Microelectronics Science Research Centers program. These efforts aim to develop next-generation hardware and software that can handle massive data sets at exceptional speeds, essential for modern computing, telecommunications, electric vehicles, and other high-performance systems.
Credit: (Image by Argonne National Laboratory.)
Argonne National Laboratory
In December 2024, the DOE’s Office of Science awarded $160 million to establish these centers, funded through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Researchers will focus on microelectronics for computing, communication, sensing, and power applications, emphasizing energy efficiency and resilience in extreme conditions.
One Argonne project, led by Supratik Guha, senior adviser to Argonne’s Physical Sciences and Engineering directorate, is “Ultra Dense Memory: Atom Scale Material Dynamics and Systems Consequences,” part of DOE’s Extreme Lithography & Materials Innovation Center. It centers on future generations of extreme-scale memories — vital for high-performance computers and sensors — and involves collaboration with the University of Chicago, Purdue University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Chicago State University, as well as industry partners IBM and Micron Technologies. By examining atom-level material changes and how they affect system architecture, the team hopes to advance both on-chip and off-chip memory solutions.
The second project, “BIA: A Co-Design Methodology to Transform Materials and Computer Architecture Research for Energy Efficiency,” belongs to the Microelectronics Energy Efficiency Research Center for Advanced Technologies. Led by Argonne Distinguished Fellow Valerie Taylor, it brings together Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Rice University, plus an industry advisory board featuring AMD, Enosemi, Lam Research, Northrop Grumman, and NVIDIA. The project applies a codesign philosophy that integrates materials research, device development, computer system design, and specialized applications, ensuring that components work together efficiently and sustainably.
Argonne experts note that microelectronics codesign requires multidisciplinary teams spanning physics, materials science, computer engineering, and high-end application domains. Both projects underscore the lab’s role in driving U.S. microelectronics research forward and developing technologies to process data faster while minimizing energy use and system vulnerabilities.
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