Digitally controlled mm-wave band selective devices and MEMS technology. This project aims to develop millimetre-wave frequency selective devices with programmable frequency response, using a silicon technology platform. It will design and make an entire radio system, including its tuneable antenna, at the wafer level. Wafer scale integration ensures the devices are compact and low cost, and can be inserted into smart watches for touchless gesture control, and minuscule devices, too small to be ....Digitally controlled mm-wave band selective devices and MEMS technology. This project aims to develop millimetre-wave frequency selective devices with programmable frequency response, using a silicon technology platform. It will design and make an entire radio system, including its tuneable antenna, at the wafer level. Wafer scale integration ensures the devices are compact and low cost, and can be inserted into smart watches for touchless gesture control, and minuscule devices, too small to be connected to the internet today. The project will demonstrate its devices in a wireless communication system operating at unprecedented data rates of over 100 Gb/s. These could transform terrestrial and satellite communication systems and propel Australia to the forefront of wireless communications.Read moreRead less
Silicon-germanium-carbon - a novel opto-mechanic material for optical micro-electromechanical systems. Evolving from past black-and-white images, through present red-green-blue multi-spectral capability, future remote imaging systems promise spectroscopic functionality across much broader wavelength ranges in a low-cost system. However, the high cost of multiple materials and technologies for each specific spectral band limits them to high-cost industry sectors. This project proposes a simple, l ....Silicon-germanium-carbon - a novel opto-mechanic material for optical micro-electromechanical systems. Evolving from past black-and-white images, through present red-green-blue multi-spectral capability, future remote imaging systems promise spectroscopic functionality across much broader wavelength ranges in a low-cost system. However, the high cost of multiple materials and technologies for each specific spectral band limits them to high-cost industry sectors. This project proposes a simple, low-cost, single material technology based on silicon-germanium-carbon thin films for mechanical and optical applications from ultraviolet to long-wave infrared, enabling widespread application of spectroscopic imaging to multiple fields extending from climate change research, through resource exploration, to cancer detection, and aerospace/defense.Read moreRead less
Auditory perception in neural electronics. This project aims to develop a practical alternative to conventional electronic design. Faster and more powerful devices have resulted from placing ever more transistors on a computer chip, but this is reaching its physical limits. This project will develop a new way of designing smart electronic devices by taking inspiration from signal processing in biological brains, and applying it to the processing of audio signals. Expected outcomes are a device t ....Auditory perception in neural electronics. This project aims to develop a practical alternative to conventional electronic design. Faster and more powerful devices have resulted from placing ever more transistors on a computer chip, but this is reaching its physical limits. This project will develop a new way of designing smart electronic devices by taking inspiration from signal processing in biological brains, and applying it to the processing of audio signals. Expected outcomes are a device that recognises sounds, without needing remote computers to do the processing. These techniques can be applied to other senses, such as vision, advancing machine perception and enabling smarter devices.Read moreRead less
Multilayer thin film memristors: designing interfaces and defect states in perovskites for nanoscale multi-state memories. This project will explore memristive devices, a frontier electronic memory technology, where the memory element's behaviour depends on its prior electronic experiences. This project will attempt to understand the processes that govern the storage and recall of information, to realise functional materials and interfaces that maximise memristive performance.
Hardware Acceleration for Neural Systems. To really understand how brains work, we need to simulate neural networks of a size similar to that of the human brain (100 billion neurons, 100 trillion connections). Simulating such a network on standard computers in not possible because of its sheer size. Several groups are currently building very expensive and proprietary hardware to solve this, but the output from these projects will not be accessible to other researchers. In order to make real prog ....Hardware Acceleration for Neural Systems. To really understand how brains work, we need to simulate neural networks of a size similar to that of the human brain (100 billion neurons, 100 trillion connections). Simulating such a network on standard computers in not possible because of its sheer size. Several groups are currently building very expensive and proprietary hardware to solve this, but the output from these projects will not be accessible to other researchers. In order to make real progress in neuroscience, many more researchers need to be enabled to participate. To do this, the project will build a system from commercial hardware (FPGAs) that will cost only a few ten thousand dollars and it will make this design and software available for free. Read moreRead less
Understanding and improving resistive-switching in hafnium-oxide-based high-k dielectrics for non-volatile memory applications. This project aims to develop the technology for fabricating a new class of high-density, non-volatile memory for use in portable electronic devices and other embedded electronic systems.
Towards energy-efficient lighting based on light-emitting diodes: the role of silicon carbide grown on Si Wafers. This project will investigate a potential solution to the problems of cost and quality of light-emitting diodes for solid-state lighting. The expected outcome is knowledge to underpin future development of solid-state lighting that is suitable for a wide replacement of the much less efficient and effective incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes.
Complex magnetic structures for microwave, logic and memory applications. The proposed work addresses high profile fields of nanotechnology and frequency agile materials. Device prototypes of novel energy efficient components for microwave signal processing, for wave logic and for memory applications based on magnetic materials will be designed, fabricated and studied.
High-brightness, low-efficiency roll-off materials for augmented realities. The proposal aims to apply new materials design theory to create new classes of highly efficient materials and overcome device efficiency roll-off issue for next-generation transparent electronics. The project expects to advance new see-through technology through new materials and device architectures innovations. Expected key outcomes include novel highly efficient multi-nuclear metal complexes generation, establishment ....High-brightness, low-efficiency roll-off materials for augmented realities. The proposal aims to apply new materials design theory to create new classes of highly efficient materials and overcome device efficiency roll-off issue for next-generation transparent electronics. The project expects to advance new see-through technology through new materials and device architectures innovations. Expected key outcomes include novel highly efficient multi-nuclear metal complexes generation, establishment of new knowledge of materials’ structure-property relationship and fundamental understanding of device physics, creation of new transparent display pixels, new training of young scientists and new IPs generation, which will provide benefits to maximise Australia's competitive advantages and meet with global innovation need.Read moreRead less
Breaking the glass ceiling: silicon-nitride (SiN) and doped silica glass for ultra high speed Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible optical processing and measurement chips. The global internet demands for energy and technology will soon be unsustainable. This project will pioneer faster, cheaper, far smaller, and more energy efficient optical signal processing and measurement chips compatible with silicon CMOS technology, for applications in telecommunications, silicon integ ....Breaking the glass ceiling: silicon-nitride (SiN) and doped silica glass for ultra high speed Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible optical processing and measurement chips. The global internet demands for energy and technology will soon be unsustainable. This project will pioneer faster, cheaper, far smaller, and more energy efficient optical signal processing and measurement chips compatible with silicon CMOS technology, for applications in telecommunications, silicon integrated circuits, and fundamental science.Read moreRead less