The computer chips inside high-speed communication devices have become so small that tiny variations that appear during chip fabrication can make a big difference in performance. Those variations can cause fluctuations in circuit speed and power so the chips don't meet their original design specifications, says MIT Professor Duane Boning, whose research team is working to predict the variation in circuit performance and maximize the number of chips working within the specifications.
MIT Professor Duane Boning, left, and graduate student Daihyun Lim are working toward increasing the performance of computer chips. Photo / Donna Coveney