Purdue ECE researchers join national effort to accelerate chip design using AI
Three Purdue ECE professors are part of a Fermilab-led project to develop specialized microchips that can withstand extreme conditions.
Researchers from Purdue University's Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) are part of a national team working to accelerate the design of specialized microchips using artificial intelligence.
Purdue ECE professors Joerg Appenzeller, Zhihong Chen and Haitong Li, along with Miaoyuan Liu, a professor in Purdue's Department of Physics and Astronomy, are co-investigators on a project led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab). The project, called Accelerating eXtreme Environment Specs-to-Silicon (AXESS), is funded through the U.S. Department of Energy's Genesis Mission, a national initiative aimed at accelerating scientific discovery through advanced AI.
AXESS focuses on developing microchips capable of operating in extreme environments, including intense radiation and ultra-low temperatures. Such chips are essential for technologies used in quantum computing, fusion energy and particle physics research.
Designing these specialized chips is traditionally a complex, time-consuming process that can take months or even years. The AXESS team aims to use advanced AI systems to automate and accelerate critical stages of chip design, potentially reducing portions of the process from months to minutes.
"Our AXESS researchers are using SI to shorten microelectronics design processes from months to minutes," said Anna Grassellino, Fermilab's chief technology officer. "This will significantly boost national competitiveness and accelerate the pace of innovation. Fermilab has deep experience creating chips that can function in extreme environments, like cryogenic temperatures or intense radiation, that can be used in specialized applications."
The research could have wide-ranging applications. Chips used in particle physics experiments must withstand high radiation levels while processing enormous amounts of data, while quantum technologies require electronics that function at temperatures approaching absolute zero.
Purdue's participation brings expertise in electrical and computer engineering and physics to a collaboration involving national laboratories, universities and industry partners. Other AXESS collaborators include AMD, Arizona State University, Georgia Tech, IBM, MIT and Siemens EDA.
AXESS is one of two new Fermilab-led awards announced as part of the Genesis Mission, which seeks to harness advanced AI and the capabilities of the Department of Energy's national laboratories to accelerate scientific innovation.
By shortening the path from chip specifications to finished designs, the project could help researchers develop advanced electronics more quickly, supporting breakthroughs in computing, energy and fundamental physics.