Overview
The team is dedicated to the evaluation of the benefits of using magnetic devices in Integrated Circuits (ICs). It is expected that integrating non-volatility in ICs could contribute to push forward the incoming limits in the microelectronics scaling. This work includes integrating the magnetic devices in standard design tools, design hybrid circuits and evaluate their performance for various applications. The unique combination of advantages of spintronics devices (non-volatility associated with high speed and endurance, analogue capabilities, well controlled stochastic behavior…) allows intrinsically mixing the memory and logic functionalities (in Memory Computing). This opens the way towards new computing paradigms, beyond the standard Von-Newman architecture of computing systems. The most interesting applications addressed in the team are described below.
Research topics
Hybrid CMOS/Magnetic design flow
Designing hybrid circuits requires integrating the magnetic devices in the standard design flow of microelectronics. This includes compacts models for electrical simulations, technology files including the magnetic back-end and libraries of Standard Cells for digital design.
Low-power logic circuits
One issue related to microelectronics scaling is the increasing standby power, due to leakage currents. Introducing non-volatility in circuits allows easing the power gating technique, which consists in cutting-off the power supply of inactive blocks to save leakage.
Artificial intelligence
Spiking Neural Networks are seen as a Key building block for strongly improving the energy efficiency of current AI applications and opening up new possibilities (in terms of unsupervised learning, recurrent networks, probabilistic inference, etc.). The scientific challenges to be tackled are the following: the first one is to define power-constrained learning and inference algorithms (online, supervised, unsupervised, probabilistic, etc.). The second one is to design a scalable and flexible SNN architecture, adaptable to the different above-mentioned algorithms, and fabricate that circuit in hybrid nanoscale CMOS and NVM technology, enabling very dense synaptic density. The last objective is to derive a principled toolchain for the algorithm, design, development, and integration of spiking neural networks for future adoption in industrial health and automotive embedded applications.
IC Reliability : Hardware security
While STT MRAM can be beneficial for hardware security (taking advantage of its stochastic behavior for cryptography for instance), it also presents some specific failures mechanisms that has to be studied to take the appropriate countermeasures.
IC Reliability : Radiation hardening
The intrinsic hardness to radiations of the magnetic devices make them a good candidate to be embedded in circuits for space applications. It can be advantageously combined with other hardening technologies or design techniques targeting space applications.
The team
Projects
Present
- SPINFROST, ANR (2023-2026) – Design of ferroelectric spintronic architectures for ultra-low power memories, post-CMOS logic and neuromorphic computing
- PEPR-ELEC, ANR (2022-2027) – Programmes et Equipements Prioritaires de Recherche Electronique
- MISTRAL, ANR (2019-2024) – MRAM/CMOS Hybridization to secure cryptographic algorithms
- CARMEM, 80|PRIME – CNRS (2021-2024) – Modèles de Caractérisation par Apprentissage pour la Qualité des Technologies de Mémoires Émergentes
- QUALMEM, ANR (2023-2026) – Quality Assurance of Advanced and Emerging Memory Technologies by Using Machine Learning
Former members
Permanent Staff
- Christophe LAYER : Research scientist
- François DUHEM: Research scientist
Post-docs
- Chadi AL KHATIB (2021-2023)
- Pablo ILHA VAZ (2022-2022)
- Ghislain TAKAM TCHENDJOU (2020-2021)
- Pierre VANHAUWAERT (2014-2017)
- Eldar ZIANBETOV (2014-2017)
- Kotb JABEUR (2013-2017)
- Virgile JAVERLIAC (2013-2014)
- Fabrice BERNARD-GRANGER (2013-2014)
- Yun YANG (2012-2013)
- Abdelilah MEJDOUBI (2010-2012)
PhD
- Odilia COI (supervised by G. Di Pendina, D. Dangla and L. Torres) (2018-2021)
- Antoine HERAUD (supervised by Lorena ANGHEL and Alexandre VALENTIAN) (2020-2022)
- Etienne BECLE (supervised by Lorena ANGHEL, G. PRENAT and I.L. Prejbeanu) (2019-2021)
- Mounia KHARBOUCHE (supervised by G. Di Pendina, R. Wacquez and J.M. Portal) (2016-2019)
- Rana ALHALABI (supervised by G. Di Pendina, E. Nowak and L. Prejbeanu) (2016-2019)
- Jeremy LOPES (supervised by G. Di Pendina, E. Beigne, D. Dangla and L. Torres) (2014-2017)
- Erya DENG (supervised by G. Prenat and L. Anghel) (2014-2017)
- Olivier GONCALVES (supervised by G. Prenat and B. Dieny) (2009-2012)
- Wei GUO (supervised by G. Prenat and B. Dieny) (2006 – 2010)
- Mourad El BARAJI (supervised by G. Prenat and B. Dieny) (2007-2009)
Engineers
- Stephane GROS (2013-2014)
- Pierre PAOLI (2013-2014)
Former projects
- NV-APROC, ANR (2019-2023) – MRAM-based Non-volatile Asynchronous Processor
- SPINBRAIN (2020-2022) – Spintronic-based Neural Network
- HANS, UGA (2019-2022)
- GREAT, H2020 (2016-2019)
- MASTA, ANR (2016-2019)
- ELECSPIN, ANR (2016-2020) – Electric-filed control of spin-based phenomena
- NOVELASIC, CEA-nanosciences (2015)
- MAD, CEA internal (2014-2018)
- SPOT, H2020 (2012-2015)
- MARS, ANR (2012-2015)
- DIPMEM, ANR (2012-2015)
- HYMAGINE, ERC Advanced grant (2010-2015)
Partners
- eVaderis
- TowerJazz
- Singulus
- Toplink Innovation
- TIMA
- LIRMM
- University of Montpellier
- IEF
- TUD
- University of Brasov
- KIT
- LETI
- IM2NP
- University of Aix-Marseille
- CEA Tech (Gardanne)
- EMSE (Gardanne)
- Greenwaves
- Tiempo Secure
- Starchip
- CNES
- Dolphin Integration
- SIGFOX
- Antaios
- IHP
- Thales TRT
- University of Newcastle
- EM Marin
Recent news
- Best poster award at INTERMAG 2023 (May 17th, 2023)
Théo FROTTIER is among Best Poster Award winners at INTERMAG 2023 Conference taking place in May 2023 in Sendai, Japan. The title of the poster prepared with Aurélie KANDAZOGLOU, Cécile GREZES of Topological Spintronics team ... - Seminar – In-memory computing architectures based on non volatile memories (March 17th, 2023)
On Tuesday, March 21th 2023, we have the pleasure to welcome in SPINTEC Valentin Egloff. He will give us a seminar at 13:30, entitled : In-memory computing architectures based on non volatile memories Place : the seminar ... - Assistant Professor position – Design of spintronic circuits for artificial intelligence (February 03rd, 2023)
SPINTEC is opening a tenured assistant professor/lecturer position in the field of frugal digital electronics, design of embedded systems, design of digital architectures in disruptive technologies (MCF section 61-63). The recruited person will carry out ... - Spintronic Memristor based Binarized Ensemble Convolutional Neural Network (December 15th, 2022)
We have investigated the use of spintronic devices to enable the implementation of a Binary Ensemble Convolutional Neural Network. A simulation flow has been setup and allowed to evaluate this disruptive combination and very promising ... - Computing and storing data at the nanoscale using magnetic skyrmions (December 08th, 2022)
Magnetic skyrmions are appealing for use in logic and memory devices combining small size and fast motion. Here, we propose to exploit skyrmion interactions to perform both logic and memory operations at the nanoscale. ...
