VLSI Architectures open problems

Hi,
Can someone suggest any open design problems in vlsi architectures that can lead to publishable results - for example any optimizations that can be done in existing implementation of a specific protocol, open issues to solve, etc...
I want to code in verilog and synthesize the complete circuit.
(must be completable in 3-4 months span)

Thanks...

If it's an open problem it usually means it's difficult, so.... 3-4 months is hard to say.

suggestions:

- Non Von-Neuman architectures: Analog computing, Neuromorphic
- Scheduling ... always a problem, never a solution
- Low Power / Low Energy ... think of it as more battery
- Probabilistic computing
- Adiabatic computing
- Reliability --- Recover from soft and hard errors, including checkpointing, redudancy
- Security and trustworthiness: How do you know that a chip does what it's supposed to do?
- Testing: How to test a circuit after completition very efficiently
- System level design: People care too much about the microprocessor, but what about the north-bridge, the memory interface, SerDES and so on
- Quantum computing ... of course
- Human Computer Interaction...
- Architecture specific to computer analytic: Bloomcam filters, fasth caches, and so on.

PFFF many other ideas


Ask your advisor to give you ideas... that's THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION

There is always something to improve...as in life philosophically speaking... Pick a topic to analyze and see what can be done to improve..... I saw recent phd thesis on pass transistor logic design implementation.... it is dead design style ......
the only thing is don't pick a topic like "improving steam railway engines" when it has been decommissioned for so long....