NRI Mission and Description

Program Mission

NRI Mission: Demonstrate non-conventional, low-energy technologies which can outperform CMOS on critical applications in ten years and beyond.

These exploratory device and circuit technologies should show significant advantage over ultimate FETs in power, performance, density, and/or cost to enable the semiconductor industry to extend the historical cost and performance trends for information technology.
To meet these goals, NRI device research is focused on device concepts which operate by physical principles very different from those of the conventional field-effect transistor. In addition, NRI is strongly focused on novel circuits and architectures which best exploit the unique characteristics of the new devices.
Finally, it is desirable that these technologies be capable of integrating with CMOS, to allow exploitation of their potentially complementary functionality in heterogeneous systems and to enable a smooth transition to a new scaling path.

Work with all participants in the NRI's consortium to continually refine the research agenda and extract maximum value from the resultant research, both at the NRI centers as well as in the joint NRI-NSF research projects.
Establish and continually improve tools and processes that integrate Program outputs to facilitate value extraction by the Sponsors.
Secure the funding stream from Members, and continually look for new leverage opportunities for Members funding, and manage disbursement of funds to the centers and projects.

revised April 2013