The University of British Columbia

Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) is one of several proposed computational nanotechnology paradigms that are being investigated as alternatives to CMOS at the nano-scale. QCA has been reported to offer relatively low power consumption, and very high device density. In recent years, several researchers have started investigating relatively complex circuit architectures using QCA. Such design efforts have highlighted the crosstalk problem in QCA and the lack of research in this area. This paper explores the nature of crosstalk in QCA. We show how crosstalk can be amplified due to several parameters including wire length and the distance between adjacent cells. We develop a model and method that allows us to test for crosstalk using a set of test vectors. We also propose a set of cell placement guidelines and design geometries that help to minimize QCA crosstalk in large circuits.