Prolegomena To Any Future Device Physics (2110.15822v2)

Abstract: For the last 60 years, advances in conventional computing platforms have been driven by the empirical notion known as Moores law. In its essence, Moores law is a ubiquitous description of the exponential increase in transistor density acting as a proxy for computing power as a function of time. While this trend started as an interesting observation, it has evolved into a self-fulfilling prophecy used to drive the entire semiconductor industry. Arguments for or against the end of Moores law have proliferated and the reluctant consensus is that Moores law will disappear. Warnings of the end of this trend have been repeatedly thwarted by advances in many different aspects of the computing ecosystem including materials improvements, device design, device or circuit cleverness, and software and architectural innovations. While many have argued the impending doom of Moores law is the ultimate roadblock imposed by atomic length scales, quantum processes, and energy consumption limits, we contend that Moores law must be jettisoned for a different reason: Words matter. Even those who adamantly declare the end of Moores law still use the language of Moores law. The inward focus of this notion imposes an intellectual tyranny that inhibits revolutionary progress. We suggest instead a more outwardly focused perspective and suggest a shift in language to a regime we coin the Feynman Mandate. In this perspective, we outline the issues with the continued use of Moores law as well as a prescription of transitioning to a new lexicon. We outline a new, more general metric for ascertaining progress and identify the roles of various stakeholders in this process.