Defect-tolerant computing based on an asynchronous cellular automaton

Cellular automata (CAs) are suitable architectures for computers built by nanotechnology, because their regular structure allows manufacturing based on molecular self-organization. Though cost-effective, such an approach inevitably brings with it defects in manufactured structures. This paper proposes a CA model called defect tolerant asynchronous cellular automaton (DTACA) that works around such defects and can thus achieve reliable computation.