PhD researcher on Design and System-level Integration of Emerging 3D Memory
PhD - Leuven | Just now
As data-intensive applications grow in scale and complexity, the limitations of traditional DRAM scaling have become increasingly pronounced. The physical and economic constraints of shrinking DRAM technology, such as increased leakage currents, reduced endurance, and rising fabrication costs, challenge the sustainability of DRAM as the primary main memory technology. In response, academia and industry are exploring emerging memory technologies promising improvements in energy efficiency, density, and non-volatility, making them attractive candidates for augmenting or replacing DRAM in future memory systems.
One promising candidate in this landscape is 3D emerging memory technology. By leveraging vertical stacking and advanced materials, 3D memory architecture offers significant improvements in storage density and cost-efficiency compared to traditional DRAM. These technologies not only address the physical limitations of planar scaling but also enhance performance metrics such as access speed and energy consumption.
As research and development in this field progress, 3D emerging memory stands poised to revolutionize the future of main memory systems, offering a viable path forward in the quest for more efficient and scalable memory solutions.As a researcher of this PhD project, the student will work on characterization and design of emerging type of memory compatible with conventional DRAM, using methods, strategies, and architectural enhancements aimed at improving the energy efficiency, latency, scalability and robustness of new memory candidates at system level. Student will have the opportunity to work on exciting software/hardware research exploring modern memory technologies and 3D circuit integration and ideas such as racetrack, charge-coupled, bucket-brigade devices, and others.
In this role, the student will delve into the intricacies of 3D memory architectures, investigating their potential to overcome the limitations of traditional planar designs. The research will focus on optimizing these technologies to achieve higher storage densities and better performance metrics. By leveraging advanced materials and innovative design techniques, the student will contribute to the development of memory solutions that are not only more efficient but also more cost-effective and reliable.
The scope of interest includes computer and memory architectures, 3D integrated circuits, and micro and macro architecture proposals for system-level integration and evaluation.
Required background: MSc degree in a field relevant to at least one of architecture of digital systems, architecture of computing systems, microelectronics system design (e.g., electrical engineering, computer systems engineering, informatics, computer science, and physics).
Type of work: 20% literature survey, 30% macro-architecture, 30% u-architecture modeling and design, 10% circuit design, and 10% publication
Supervisor: Maarten Rosmeulen
Co-supervisor: Mehdi Tahoori
Daily advisor: Khakim Akhunov
The reference code for this position is 2026-136. Mention this reference code on your application form.