An introduction GaAs microprocessor architecture for VLSI

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Computer; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.1986.1663177· OSTI ID:5875409

Milutinovic, V; Fura, D; Helbig, W

Gallium arsenide, or GaAs, technology has recently shown rapid increases in maturity. In particular, the advances made in digital chip complexity have been enormous. This progress is especially evident in two types of chips: static rams and gate arrays. In 1983, static rams containing 1K bits were announced. One year later both a 4K-bit and a 16K-bit version were presented. Gate arrays have advanced from a 1000-gate design presented in 1984 to a 2000-gate design announced in 1985. With this enormous progress underway, it is now appropriate to consider the use of this new technology in the implementation of high-performance processors. GaAs technology generates high levels of enthusiasm primarily because of two advantages it enjoys over silicon: higher speed and greater resistance to adverse environmental conditions. GaAs gates switch faster than silicon transistor-transistor logic, or TTL, gates by nearly an order of magnitude. These switching speeds are even faster than those attained by the fastest silicon emitter-coupled logic, or ECL, but at power levels an order of magnitude lower. For this reason, GaAs is seen to have applications in computer design within several computationally intensive areas. In fact, it has been reported that the Cray-3 will contain GaAs parts. GaAs also enjoys greater resistance to radiation and temperature variations than does silicon. GaAs successfully operates in radiation levels of 10 to 100 million rads. Its operating temperature range extends from -200 to 200/sup 0/C. Consequently, GaAs has created great excitement in the military and aerospace markets.

• Research Organization: Purdue Univ.
• OSTI ID: 5875409
• Journal Information: Computer; (United States), Vol. 19:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
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