Argonne National Laboratory said it is prioritizing energy-efficient computing and nature-friendly manufacturing processes in its microelectronics research.
The laboratory is doing is part as an inaugural partner in the Energy Efficiency Scaling for 2 Decades initiative, which was launched for the semiconductor industry by the Department of Energy.
As of the end of November, 30 microelectronics companies and organizations have pledged to join the public-private alliance and work toward a thousandfold increase in energy efficiency in the next 20 years. Argonne is one of six national labs to participate in EES2, while Intel and Microsoft are some of the private sector entities to express their support.
Argonne will pursue semiconductor computing technologies that require less power and materials that could impede the supply chain. Its other study will focus on novel approaches to minimize the environmental impact of chip manufacturing.
To achieve its research objectives, Argonne will utilize DOE’s Advanced Photon Source in addition to its Center for Nanoscale Materials, Leadership Computing Facility and Materials Engineering Research Facility. It also plans to employ autonomous discovery, which uses artificial intelligence to speed up lab work.
