Abstract

The interaction between computer architecture and IC technology is complicated and bi-directional. Emerging technologies, such as 3D integration and new non-volatile memories, affect the decisions computer architects make, while the developments in computer architecture also influences the viability of different technologies. On the other hand, emerging applications, such as machine learning and VR/AR, also provide new drivers and pose new challenges for future architecture design. In this talk, the speaker first will review the trends in computer architecture research topics in the past 25 years, and use 3D-integration as an example to demonstrate the interaction of architecture and technology, transforming the technology from research exploration to finally commercial adoption in architecture. Then emerging NVM technology and neuromorphic computing will be discussed as examples of the influence of emerging technology and emerging application on future architecture research. As our community embarks upon the post-Moore's Law era and looks towards a post-CMOS life, technology-driven and application-driven architecture innovations will become the keys for future computer architecture research.

Biography

Yuan Xie received the B.S. degree in electronic engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in computer engineering from Princeton University. He is currently a Professor in the ECE department at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Before joining UCSB in Fall 2014, he was with Pennsylvania State University, with rich industry experience in both research lab (AMD) and product team (IBM Worldwide Design Center).

Prof. Xie is a IEEE Fellow. He is also a recipient of the NSF CAREER award, SRC Inventor Recognition Award, IBM Faculty Award, and Best Paper Awards (HPCA15, ICCAD14, GLSVLSI14, ISVLSI12, ISLPED11) and Best Paper Award Nominations (MICRO13, ASPDAC09-10, DATE13, ICCAD06). He has published more than 200 research papers in prestigious IEEE/ACM journals and conferences, in the area of computer architecture, EDA, VLSI designs, and embedded systems. He is currently Editor-in-Chief for ACM Journal of Emerging Technologies in Computing Systems (JETC), Senior Associate Editor for ACM Transactions on Design Automation for Electronics Systems (TODAE), Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Computers (TC) and IEEE Embedded System Letter (ESL). He is a member of both the ISCA Hall of Fame and the HPCA Hall of Fame, the two premier conferences in computer architecture, that recognize the top authors in those conferences.