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Beyond CMOS refers to the possible future digital logic technologies beyond the CMOS scaling limits which limits device density and speeds due to heating effects.
Contents
Beyond CMOS is the name of one of the 7 focus groups in ITRS 2.0 (2013).
CPUs using CMOS were released from 1986 (e.g. 12 MHz Intel 80386). As CMOS transistor dimensions were shrunk the clock speeds also increased. Since about 2004 CMOS CPU clock speeds have leveled off at about 3.5 GHz.
CMOS devices sizes continue to shrink - See Intel Tick-Tock and ITRS :
CMOS transistors may not work below 10 nm. See 10 nanometer and 7 nanometer.
Comparisons of technology
About 2010 the Nanoelectronic Research Initiative (NRI) studied various circuits in various technologies.
Nikonov & Young benchmarked (theoretically) many technologies in 2012, and updated it in 2014. The 2014 benchmarking included 11 electronic, 8 spintronic, 3 orbitronic, 2 ferroelectric, and 1 straintronic technology.
Some areas of investigation
RSFQ
RSFQ is a digital electronics technology that uses superconducting devices, namely Josephson junctions, to process digital signals. Despite the drawback that available superconductors require cryogenic temperatures, RSFQ was rated most-promising by the NSA in a 2005 prospective technology survey.