Chris Kim

Chris Kim serves as a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering. He holds the prestigious McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair and was named a Distinguished McKnight University Professor in 2022, one of the highest honors at the university. His research focuses on designing energy-efficient, robust, and intelligent integrated circuits and systems with expertise in building chips and collaborating across materials, devices, algorithms, systems, and signal processing.

Professor Kim's research interests span quantum-inspired computing, cryogenic computing, machine learning hardware, neuromorphic computing, hardware security, internet-of-things, medical devices, sensor networks, and radiation hardened chips. His group has transferred key technologies to the semiconductor industry, including silicon odometer circuits for measuring circuit wear out, radiation monitoring circuits, and SPICE models for magnetic tunnel junctions.

Analysis of Professor Kim's recent publications reveals a strong trend toward quantum-inspired computing and combinatorial optimization using coupled oscillator-based Ising chips. His work bridges theoretical computer science with practical circuit implementation, with significant contributions in electromigration characterization, aging sensors, and compute-in-memory architectures. The research demonstrates a clear trajectory from fundamental circuit design to application-specific implementations for real-world problems.

• Intel Outstanding Researcher Award (2024) for contributions to coupled oscillator based Ising chip research
• Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) Sustainable Future award (2024) for quantum-inspired computing chips
• McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair (2024)
• Distinguished McKnight University Professor (2022)
• Louis John Schnell Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering (2021)

Professor Kim actively mentors numerous Ph.D. and Master's students, with over 50 graduates who now work at leading technology companies including Intel, Apple, Samsung, and NVIDIA. His research is supported by significant grants from the National Science Foundation, Semiconductor Research Corporation, Samsung Electronics, and the Department of Defense. Current projects include electromigration lifetime characterization, energy-efficient circuits for cryogenic operation, characterization of single event effects in DRAM chips, and development of CMOS oscillator-based Ising computers.

The VLSI Research Group at the University of Minnesota, led by Professor Kim, focuses on developing core circuit technologies for smart and energy-efficient integrated systems. The group has produced notable achievements including a 48-spin all-to-all connected Ising solver chip published in Nature Electronics (featured on the cover), and a quantum-inspired Ising chip with nearly 2,000 coupled ring oscillators. The group maintains strong industry connections and has transferred multiple technologies to semiconductor companies.