DOE Behind Research for Faster, Energy-Efficient Computers

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) just awarded nearly $975,000 to Charles Paillard, a University of Arkansas research professor of physics and director of the Smart Ferroic Materials Center, to study aluminum scandium nitride at the atomic level. The study aims to lay the foundation for dramatically faster and energy-efficient computers. Paillard, Laurent Bellaiche, and Gregory Salamo will investigate ferroelectric material at the atomic level that could be integrated into existing silicon computing platforms.

Data centers currently account for 2% of energy consumption in the U.S., which will rise as demand grows for high-speed or AI computing. Paillard indicated that ferroelectrics are difficult to integrate on ubiquitous silicon platforms. The researchers decided to change all the computing technology in the world or find new ferroelectric materials that are easier to integrate on silicon. Aluminum scandium nitride fits the bill and can be integrated into existing silicon chips. It also has the ferroelectric property necessary for high-speed computers. Paillard’s research will examine aluminum scandium nitride’s domain wall, the space between the negative and positive polarities.

The grant is sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).