Next Generation Computing Using Quantum Dot Cellular Automata Nano Technology, New Promising Alternative to CMOS

Abstract

CMOS technology is one of the most popular technology in the computer chip design industry and broadly used today to form integrated circuits in numerous and varied applications and it has transformed the field of electronics. Over the time the design methodologies and processing technologies of CMOS devices have greatest activity with the Moore’s law. Now CMOS technology has to face challenges to survive through the submicron ranges. The scaling in CMOS has reached higher limit, not only from technological and Physical point of view but also from economical and material aspects. This concept inspires the researches to look for new alternatives to CMOS which gives better performance and power consumption. One of the alternative technologies to digital designing in CMOS is the Quantum dot Cellular Automata (QCA). QCA is a technology it works on Electronic interaction between the cells. The QCA cell basically consists of Quantum dots separated by certain distance. The transmission of information done via the interaction between the Electrons present in these quantum dots. In this paper the limitations to CMOS in submicron range and concepts for designing in QCA have been discussed and also the building blocks are explained using QCA designer implementations with focus on cell interaction and clocking mechanism.