Design of standard cell libraries for molecular field-coupled nanocomputing design automation

Molecular Field-Coupled Nanocomputing (MolFCN) represents one of the most promising post-CMOS technologies for ultra-low power computing. This technology encodes information in the charge distribution of molecules and processes it through electrostatic interactions, using molecular patterns that implement logic gates and signal routing. Although physical simulation is possible through tools like SCERPA (Self-Consistent Electrostatic Potential Algorithm), the design process remains entirely manual. No automated design tools exist for molecular circuits, severely limiting the technology’s practical adoption. The main contribution of this work is to bridge the critical gap between molecular-level physical simulation and automated circuit design, by the development and validation of the first physically simulated standard cell library for MolFCN. The library comprises seven fundamental devices (bus, inverter, L-wire, fan-out, majority voter, AND and OR gates) implemented on a standardized 10×10 grid. Each device was characterized through SCERPA simulations, validating correct functional behavior under realistic physical conditions. Through a collaboration between the Politecnico di Torino and the Technical University of Munich, the developed library, named SIM(7), was integrated into Fiction framework, enabling automatic synthesis of MolFCN circuits from Verilog specifications to molecular implementations. Simulation-based validation demonstrated 100% functional correctness for all library cells and synthesized benchmark circuits, including XOR gates, half-adders, comparators and c17. The work establishes a reproducible methodology for standard library creation in field-coupled technologies, complete with detailed design rules for cell standardization, clocking zones, and EDA compatibility. Through these contributions, MolFCN has transitioned from purely theoretical research into a tangible design platform, opening new possibilities for the scientific community.