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FAQs: DARPA Non Volatile Logic (NV Logic) Opportunity (BAA 10-42)

What is the DARPA NV Logic opportunity?

DARPA's Non Volatile Logic (NV Logic) opportunity was a research solicitation issued by the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) under BAA 10-42. It sought proposals to create a new class of logic technologies that can both compute and retain their logical state without continuous power.

What problem was NV Logic trying to solve?

The program aimed to move beyond conventional transistor-only logic where logic states are typically volatile and are lost when power is removed. NV Logic targeted logic elements that inherently preserve state through power-off conditions, effectively combining aspects of memory and logic at the device level.

What does "non-volatile logic" mean in this context?

In this solicitation, non-volatile logic refers to logic elements whose state does not disappear when power is removed. Instead of relying only on volatile charge-based transistor states, the program emphasized using alternative physical state variables so that logic "remembers" its last state even when unpowered.

What kinds of physical mechanisms or state variables were contemplated?

The solicitation highlighted the use of alternative physical state variables, with magnetization provided as a key example. The core idea was to leverage non-traditional state variables (beyond conventional transistor-only approaches) to implement logic that retains state without power.

Was DARPA looking for a single device demonstration or something broader?

Based on the emphasis described, the program was not framed as only demonstrating a single novel device in isolation. A major implied deliverable was a "complete library" of non-volatile logic elements or building blocks, suggesting a structured and coherent toolkit suitable for composing larger digital systems.

What is meant by a "complete library" of non-volatile logic elements?

A "complete library" implies a set of device primitives or logic building blocks that can be used together to design larger systems, analogous to standard cell libraries used in modern integrated circuit design. The expectation implied by the solicitation is that the primitives would enable broader architectures and design methodologies rather than remaining one-off demonstrations.

What kinds of system-level benefits did the solicitation associate with non-volatile logic?

The opportunity positioned NV Logic as potentially enabling a new computational paradigm. With logic states persisting through power interruptions, the solicitation pointed to pathways such as instant-on computing, aggressive power gating, and architectures where large portions of a chip can be shut down without needing to reload state.

How could NV Logic affect the relationship between processor and memory?

The solicitation described how non-volatile logic could reduce or reshape the traditional boundary between processor and memory, a longstanding performance and energy bottleneck in conventional computing, by merging aspects of memory and logic at the device level.

Which DARPA office managed this opportunity?

The opportunity was managed through DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office (MTO).

What type of funding opportunity was this administratively?

It was described as a discretionary, science and technology research and development opportunity under CFDA 12.910.

What award instruments were available under this solicitation?

The solicitation allowed multiple award instruments, including cooperative agreements, grants, other procurement contracts, and contracts.

Was cost-sharing or matching required?

No cost-sharing or matching requirement was noted in the information provided.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to qualified entities, subject to any additional details in the full announcement.

When was the solicitation posted?

The solicitation was posted on March 5, 2010.

What was the closing date for submissions?

The original and current closing date was April 21, 2010.

When was the opportunity archived?

The archive date was May 6, 2010.

Where were applicants directed for additional solicitation details?

The opportunity referenced the MTO solicitations page for additional details.

Who was the point of contact for access issues?

The point of contact provided for access issues was Devanand Shenoy, MTO Program Manager and BAA Coordinator.

What was the overall thrust of the NV Logic program?

Overall, NV Logic was framed as a forward-leaning R&D effort to establish device- and circuit-level foundations for computing systems that retain logical state without power, using emerging physical mechanisms (such as magnetic state) to implement robust, composable logic functions.