Project description
Making the building blocks of ion-based computing
Ultracapacitors (also known as supercapacitors) have traditionally been used for very fast, high-energy storage, such as in regenerative braking. But the EU-funded IONOLOGIC project proposes to use them as the building blocks for a new type of computer processing. Just like how living organisms use ions and chemical transmitters in nerves, ultracapacitors can use ions to emulate electronic circuit elements, such as diodes and transistors. The project will use ion electroadsorption in nanoporous carbons and membranes with specific pore sizes and surface functionalities, as well as selective ion-sieving mechanisms that will lead to the creation of logic gates. These gates can then be nanoimprinted onto chips, as the basis for ion-based computing technologies, which could allow on-chip power management.
Objective
Ultracapacitors (also referred to as Supercapacitors or ElectricUltracapacitors (also referred to as Supercapacitors or Electric Double Layer Capacitors, EDLCs) stand out as high power devices for ultrafast energy storage. A new paradigm is to use ion electroadsorption devices for logic information processing. In living organisms, ions and chemical transmitters are involved in signaling, managing logic operations and memory, evolutionary optimized in terms of energy-efficiency. My group recently reported the first switchable and directional ultracapacitor devices emulating discrete electronic circuit elements (diode, transistor) as basic building blocks for the realization of logic operations, an important step towards ultracapacitor-based ion information signaling and processing.
IONOLOGIC targets the conceptual design and realization of capacitive logic gates (AND, OR, NAND, etc.) based on ion electroadsorption in nanoporous carbons by integrating multiple switchable EDLC elements into monolithic microdevices. The deliberate deployment of nanoporous carbons and membranes with defined pore size and surface functionality, selective ion-sieving mechanisms, electrolyte depletion and charge transport in nanopores will lead to intrinsic IONOLOGIC gates. Nanoimprint lithography and piezo-printing of nanoporous carbon electrodes offers an emerging enabling technology for monolithic integration of complex electrode structures to finally interconnect multiple gates on a chip. A highly interlaced team architecture conceptualizes switchable ultracapacitors and ion-circuits, designs nanopore-electrolyte pairs, develops new precursor and processing concepts for on chip-deposition of nanoporous materials, and finally realizes prototypical monolithic logic gates.
IONOLOGIC constitutes the basis for novel ion-based computing technologies to reduce energy dissipation in computing architectures and enable on-chip power management in autonomous microelectronic devices in future.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2021-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
01069 Dresden
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.