Details

Micro/nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) resonators may behave as a dynamic memory and logic gate thanks to the flexibility to tune their resonance frequencies on demand. The development of MEMS/NEMS resonator-based computing elements has recently attracted significant attention in the research community. Although there have been successful demonstrations of memory components, fundamental logic gates, as well as multi-bit complex logic circuits, realization of combinational logics has remained elusive. We recently demonstrated a reprogrammable logic device based on a simple electrothermal frequency modulation scheme on a single microelectromechanical arch-shaped resonator [1]. The device is capable of performing all the fundamental 2-bit and selective n-bit logic operations. Logic functions are reprogrammable by the choice of the AC driving frequency. These devices are fabricated using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible mass fabrication process, suitable for on-chip integration, and promises an alternative electromechanical computing scheme.

Currently, we are conducting research to explore the possibilities to utilize these logic devices to build more complex logic, such as, binary comparator, single bit 4-to-2 Encoder, half-adder/subtractor, and MUX/DEMUX. 

KAUST CEMSE EE ICS Frequency Response For NOR Logic Gate
Fig. 2: (a) Frequency response for NOR logic gate (b) Time response showing NOR logic operation [1].

 

Publications

​[1] Hafiz et al. (2016): Microelectromechanical reprogrammable logic device. Nat. Commun. 7, 11137.