Logic Switches Operating at the Minimum Energy of Computing

In modern computers information is processed through binary switches, usually realized with transistors, i.e. Microelectronic devices. Thus binary switches represent a paradigmatic example of "small scale physical systems" employed in the processing of information. In the last forty years the semiconductor industry has been driven by its ability to scale down the size of the CMOS devices, to increase computing capability and reducing the power dissipated in heat. Thus we assisted to a continuous reduction in the supply voltage and electrical noise induced errors became an important issue to take into account for the performance of the device. Here we discuss the relationship between the energy required by an advanced ultra low power logic gate and the associated error rate at different operating frequencies.