Microfabrication of integrated silicon optical cross-switches interfaced with silica optical waveguides. Project aims to fabricate novel silicon based optical switches in the form of cantilevered mirrors integrated to interface with silica optical waveguides integrated collimation lens. Significantly, it paves the way for low cost integration of optical switches with array waveguides for an all-optical dynamically reconfigurable dense wavelength division multiplexing network used in modern broad ....Microfabrication of integrated silicon optical cross-switches interfaced with silica optical waveguides. Project aims to fabricate novel silicon based optical switches in the form of cantilevered mirrors integrated to interface with silica optical waveguides integrated collimation lens. Significantly, it paves the way for low cost integration of optical switches with array waveguides for an all-optical dynamically reconfigurable dense wavelength division multiplexing network used in modern broadband telecommunication systems. International market demand for such devises is enormous. Expected outcomes include the development of arrays of low loss 2x2 integrated optical waveguide cross-switches prototypes, securing the intellectual property rights and disseminating the work internationally.Read moreRead less
New Approaches for Wireless Implantable Biomedical Devices. Wireless biomedical implants of the future will interface with biological systems to perform physiological tasks such as vision restoration, reanimation of paralyzed limbs, and chemical sensing. The potential benefit to society will come not only from alleviating human suffering and improving quality of life, but also by reducing the health care costs now directed to assist people with disabilities such as blindness, stroke and spinal-c ....New Approaches for Wireless Implantable Biomedical Devices. Wireless biomedical implants of the future will interface with biological systems to perform physiological tasks such as vision restoration, reanimation of paralyzed limbs, and chemical sensing. The potential benefit to society will come not only from alleviating human suffering and improving quality of life, but also by reducing the health care costs now directed to assist people with disabilities such as blindness, stroke and spinal-cord injury survivors. Using similar technologies, cochlear implants have already restored functional hearing to over 100,000 deaf patients around the world. The outcomes of the project can also be applied to a variety of other applications such environmental monitoring, security and identification systems. Read moreRead less
A neuromorphic binaural hearing sensor. A neuromorphic binaural hearing sensor will be created. The system includes two cochleae and targeted processing pathways in the auditory brainstem that aid in solving the Cocktail Party Problem: i.e. foreground-background sound separation, sound localisation, and sound recognition. The VLSI circuits will enable real-time implementation of complex auditory models. As we develop our VLSI binaural ear, we will experiment with afferent (feed forward) and ....A neuromorphic binaural hearing sensor. A neuromorphic binaural hearing sensor will be created. The system includes two cochleae and targeted processing pathways in the auditory brainstem that aid in solving the Cocktail Party Problem: i.e. foreground-background sound separation, sound localisation, and sound recognition. The VLSI circuits will enable real-time implementation of complex auditory models. As we develop our VLSI binaural ear, we will experiment with afferent (feed forward) and efferent (feed back) auditory signal processing that is similar to real auditory systems and that demonstrate efficient, effective, and low-power signal processing algorithms for binaural (two-sensor) hearing systems.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0238960
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$940,000.00
Summary
High Performance Semiconductor Micromachining Facility. The purpose of this project is to make available to the Australian semiconductor research community a facility to undertake specialist deposition and etching tasks needed for fabrication of next generation solar cells, microelectronics, optronics, and micro-electromechanical systems. The facility will have the flexibility to allow independent control of major process parameters, allowing development of new fabrication technologies which wi ....High Performance Semiconductor Micromachining Facility. The purpose of this project is to make available to the Australian semiconductor research community a facility to undertake specialist deposition and etching tasks needed for fabrication of next generation solar cells, microelectronics, optronics, and micro-electromechanical systems. The facility will have the flexibility to allow independent control of major process parameters, allowing development of new fabrication technologies which will be generic to a wide range of semiconductor materials. In particular, the facility will be unique in its ability to perform processes at low temperatures, and under conditions that allow optimisation of the deposition and etching processes, without compromising the performance of delicate devices or exceeding the maximum process temperature limitations found in many mainstream semiconductor materials technologies.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775499
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$130,000.00
Summary
High Performance Optical Profilometer for mapping micro/meso/macroscopic topography. Developing advanced, high performance new materials requires an understanding of surfaces and interfaces. Making a small area, low yield material or device is a regular occurrence within the Australian research community. The ability to create reproducible, high yield materials requires greater understanding of the stresses, uniformities and deformations in a material over large areas. The proposed instrument ....High Performance Optical Profilometer for mapping micro/meso/macroscopic topography. Developing advanced, high performance new materials requires an understanding of surfaces and interfaces. Making a small area, low yield material or device is a regular occurrence within the Australian research community. The ability to create reproducible, high yield materials requires greater understanding of the stresses, uniformities and deformations in a material over large areas. The proposed instrument can measure topography over many centimeters-squared with sub-micron spatial resolution, currently beyond the capabilities of researchers in Australia. By providing a quantitative method to measure surface textures, the instrument will also support Australian industries looking for improved process control.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354735
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Australian Network on Microelectronics, Optoelectronics and Microelectromechanical Systems. The Network will encompass semiconductor microelectronics, optoelectronics, sensors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Fundamental research in these areas enables the technological advances that underpin rapidly developing industries such as information and telecommunications technologies, defence, aerospace, medicine, and remote sensing. Exciting challenges exist in designing new devices that exp ....Australian Network on Microelectronics, Optoelectronics and Microelectromechanical Systems. The Network will encompass semiconductor microelectronics, optoelectronics, sensors and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Fundamental research in these areas enables the technological advances that underpin rapidly developing industries such as information and telecommunications technologies, defence, aerospace, medicine, and remote sensing. Exciting challenges exist in designing new devices that exploit unique semiconductor systems and technologies. By sharing capabilities and resources (both capital and human), the network will enable the issues associated with such novel materials and devices to be addressed in a targeted manner. The network will also guarantee the ongoing future of research in the area by actively involving early career researchers and postgraduate students.Read moreRead less
Smart CMOS Vision Sensors in Deep Sub-0.25um CMOS Technologies. This research project aims to develop a new generation of smart vision sensors featuring on-chip and pixel-level implementation of human vision based algorithms. Built in state-of-the-art deep sub-0.25um CMOS technologies, these imagers will feature extensive in-pixel processing power in contrast to the currently commercially available CMOS vision sensors. This will enable on-chip vision-based decision making but also increased on-c ....Smart CMOS Vision Sensors in Deep Sub-0.25um CMOS Technologies. This research project aims to develop a new generation of smart vision sensors featuring on-chip and pixel-level implementation of human vision based algorithms. Built in state-of-the-art deep sub-0.25um CMOS technologies, these imagers will feature extensive in-pixel processing power in contrast to the currently commercially available CMOS vision sensors. This will enable on-chip vision-based decision making but also increased on-chip image processing. These innovative system-on-chip features will contribute towards the positioning of CMOS imaging technology as the technology of choice for most digital imaging applications, in place of the existing, and so far unchallenged, CCD technology.
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Electronic Auditory Pathway. We will develop electronic building blocks to investigate biological signal processing. In particular, we will investigate the auditory pathway and develop the most accurate electronic model of the biological cochlea and auditory nerve. These will be followed by electronic circuits that model the processing of sensory signals in the brain. Processing signals with neural spikes offers distinct advantages over current analogue and digital signal processing techniques i ....Electronic Auditory Pathway. We will develop electronic building blocks to investigate biological signal processing. In particular, we will investigate the auditory pathway and develop the most accurate electronic model of the biological cochlea and auditory nerve. These will be followed by electronic circuits that model the processing of sensory signals in the brain. Processing signals with neural spikes offers distinct advantages over current analogue and digital signal processing techniques in terms of noise, energy consumption and extraction of temporal information. We will implement the first spike-based models of pitch and timbre perception, and a neural model of speech recognition in noisy environments.Read moreRead less
Dynamic signal processing with currents. Today's digital computers and communications devices, such as mobile phones, contain continuous time filters as necessary and important components. We will investigate an integrated circuit design methodology for the creation of fully programmable versions of such filters. Currently these filters are redesigned for each application and are often external to the IC. This increases the size and cost of the design. Another outcome of the methodology is a cur ....Dynamic signal processing with currents. Today's digital computers and communications devices, such as mobile phones, contain continuous time filters as necessary and important components. We will investigate an integrated circuit design methodology for the creation of fully programmable versions of such filters. Currently these filters are redesigned for each application and are often external to the IC. This increases the size and cost of the design. Another outcome of the methodology is a current domain signal processor. This will be capable of modelling complex systems such as biological neurons and stock option pricing. We will build these systems and interface them with digital computers.Read moreRead less
Millimetre Wave Communication Systems for Consumer Applications. The key outcome of this cross-disciplinary project will be a prototype single-chip (RF section), short-range, 1Gigabit/second, wireless network operating at 60 GHz. This will employ new Silicon Germanium technology in a 'system on chip' methodology that will pave the way for low-cost consumer applications of such technology. A new design flow will be developed to support this project, which will enable first silicon pass correct d ....Millimetre Wave Communication Systems for Consumer Applications. The key outcome of this cross-disciplinary project will be a prototype single-chip (RF section), short-range, 1Gigabit/second, wireless network operating at 60 GHz. This will employ new Silicon Germanium technology in a 'system on chip' methodology that will pave the way for low-cost consumer applications of such technology. A new design flow will be developed to support this project, which will enable first silicon pass correct design of complete mm-wave millimetre wave radios on a single chip, a feat that has yet to be demonstrated. A new communication system will be developed to support the high data rates proposed. The significance will be application in very high speed high-bandwith wireless local networks.Read moreRead less