PhD

Smart Systems and Energy Technology

• DNA analysis with a nanopore
• Reconfigurable biosensor arrays
• 3D-SOC integration by stacking heterogeneous IC technologies
• Technology aware design research
• Analog and RF circuit design for 45nm CMOS Cognitive Radio t
• CMOS design for mm-wave applications
• Cognitive radio processor architecture and platform
• Cognitive radio functionality
• Miniaturized Hyperspectral Vision System for the Embedded Do
• Multi-View Video
• Run-time resource management for dynamic Embedded Software
• Solar Cell Technology
• Organic electronics
• Wireless autonomous transducer solutions
• Ultra-high frequency communication with thin-film oxide elec

Technology aware design research

With technology generations rapidly approaching atomic dimensions and the introduction of many new material schemes, reliability issues are rapidly emerging at the intrinsic level of electronic systems. Many research initiatives are being launched to increase system reliability. However, very little is known yet on the technology-system interaction toward reliability and there are important pending questions waiting for answer:

1. Are the reliability margins allocated at the technology level well chosen for correct SoC operation in sub-22nm technologies? When will the reliability requirements of the SoC and the reliability performance of the technology cross over, making it impossible to design reliable systems in the classical way?
2. How do we make sure that the SoC works despite the fact that there will be device failures? What shift in design paradigm will be needed?

These questions are addressed in three areas of research: Variability and Reliability Aware Modeling, Reliability Aware Design and by making use of an advanced silicon validation platform.

Responsible scientists: Diederik Verkest, Miguel Miranda