The Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Research Group at the University of Minnesota focuses on developing core circuit technologies for enabling smart and energy-efficient integrated systems. Applications we target range from quantum-inspired computing, cryogenic computing, machine learning and neuromorphic computing, hardware security, internet-of-things, medical devices, sensor networks, to radiation hardened chips.
May 2024 Prof. Kim has been honored with the Intel Outstanding Researcher Award for his contributions to coupled oscillator based Ising chip research.
Sep 2024 Prof. Kim has been awarded the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) Sustainable Future award for his work on quantum-inspired computing chips.
May 2024 Professor Kim was named a Mcknight Presidential Endowed Chair, one of the highest honors at the University of Minnesota [LINK]
Oct 2023 Our paper on a 48-spin all-to-all connected Ising solver chip has been published in Nature Electronics and is featured on the cover page. This research has also drawn significant interest from IEEE Spectrum and the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. [IEEE SPECTRUM] [ANNOUNCEMENT] [COVER IMAGE] [ARTICLE] [PREPRINT]
Jan 2023 We are embarking on several new projects aiming at developing commercially-viable quantum-inspired computing chips [NEWS]
May 2022 Our quantum-inspired Ising chip with almost 2,000 coupled ring oscillators is published in Nature Electronics [PAPER] [NEWS] [BRIEFING]
April 2022 Professor Kim is recognized as Distinguished Mcknight University Professor [ECE NEWS] [UNIVERSITY NEWS]
March 2022: RTL and testbench of our open-source silicon odometer aging sensor is now available on Github: https://github.com/reliability-research/odometer [PAPER]
June 2021: Prof. Kim is appointed as Louis John Schnell Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering.