Foundations for Physically Unclonable nano-Security on Silicon. This project aims to develop an on-chip physical unclonable function (PUF) based on recent progress in nanotechnology to generate unprecedented number of unique signatures. This is significant because these signatures can be used for preventing fraud and counterfeiting, protecting sensitive data and securing communications. PUFs will play an extremely vital role in future security systems. The PUF in the proposed project will be sim ....Foundations for Physically Unclonable nano-Security on Silicon. This project aims to develop an on-chip physical unclonable function (PUF) based on recent progress in nanotechnology to generate unprecedented number of unique signatures. This is significant because these signatures can be used for preventing fraud and counterfeiting, protecting sensitive data and securing communications. PUFs will play an extremely vital role in future security systems. The PUF in the proposed project will be simple, fast, tiny, energy efficient and highly secure as a result of the abundant nano-fabrication variations. The outcome of this project will be a prototype of a super high secure nanoelectronic-based PUF that will be tested to evaluate the technology and its security against malicious attacks.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
Carrier Mobility Distributions: New Insights into Fundamental Electronic Transport in Advanced Semiconductor Structures. Understanding carrier mobility distributions in emerging and future semiconductor device structures can yield unprecedented insights into their fundamental electronic properties and transport processes, and into the mechanisms limiting device performance. This project aims to pioneer the systematic investigation of carrier mobility distributions by employing novel experimenta ....Carrier Mobility Distributions: New Insights into Fundamental Electronic Transport in Advanced Semiconductor Structures. Understanding carrier mobility distributions in emerging and future semiconductor device structures can yield unprecedented insights into their fundamental electronic properties and transport processes, and into the mechanisms limiting device performance. This project aims to pioneer the systematic investigation of carrier mobility distributions by employing novel experimental techniques and high-resolution mobility spectrum analysis methodologies, combined with advanced numerical simulation of electronic transport physics. The project will aim to demonstrate that the new knowledge and understanding can be employed in the optimisation and enhancement of emerging and future semiconductor technologies.Read moreRead less
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
Synthesis, characterisation, and applications of atomically thin layers of transition metal oxides and dichalcogenides. The project will explore the key fundamental properties of atomically-thin layers of functional materials made of transition metal oxides and dichalcogenides. By reducing the thickness of these materials to only a few atomic layers, the project will create novel electronic properties that are otherwise not exhibited. The aims are to understand layer-dependent changes to their p ....Synthesis, characterisation, and applications of atomically thin layers of transition metal oxides and dichalcogenides. The project will explore the key fundamental properties of atomically-thin layers of functional materials made of transition metal oxides and dichalcogenides. By reducing the thickness of these materials to only a few atomic layers, the project will create novel electronic properties that are otherwise not exhibited. The aims are to understand layer-dependent changes to their physical and chemical properties; to control and tune such properties by altering crystal structure and composition; and to investigate the effect of mixed-layer heterostructure configurations on these characteristics. The fundamental insights gained will serve as the driver for the next generation nanotechnology-enabled electronics and sensing systems.Read moreRead less
Diamond glass: An all-carbon technology for neural networks and biosensing. This project aims to use plasma deposition to synthesise diamond glass with the highest purity and the most diamond-like character so that it meets the strict requirements for emerging device applications. The extreme properties of diamond glass arise from the diamond-like bonding of the majority of its atoms. This amorphous, wide bandgap semiconductor is also the hardest known glass. The maximum diamond-like content pos ....Diamond glass: An all-carbon technology for neural networks and biosensing. This project aims to use plasma deposition to synthesise diamond glass with the highest purity and the most diamond-like character so that it meets the strict requirements for emerging device applications. The extreme properties of diamond glass arise from the diamond-like bonding of the majority of its atoms. This amorphous, wide bandgap semiconductor is also the hardest known glass. The maximum diamond-like content possible in diamond glass coatings is unknown, so determining its ultimate performance is difficult. Expected applications include medical diagnostics, non-volatile memories and programmable chips.Read moreRead less
Design automation for secure, reliable and energy efficient embedded processors. This project seeks to create a methodology to design and generate processors which are both secure, reliable and energy efficient for deployment in Internet of Things (IoT) systems, which require little on-going maintenance. In such systems, both security and reliability are paramount, particularly in medical devices, control devices in critical machinery, financial transactions and automotive electronics. The proje ....Design automation for secure, reliable and energy efficient embedded processors. This project seeks to create a methodology to design and generate processors which are both secure, reliable and energy efficient for deployment in Internet of Things (IoT) systems, which require little on-going maintenance. In such systems, both security and reliability are paramount, particularly in medical devices, control devices in critical machinery, financial transactions and automotive electronics. The project will use an open RISC-V processor which is sufficiently flexible to function as a base processor, with a myriad of tools such as compilers and debuggers available. Reliable computing machinery will enable systems to work in hostile environments and be functionally correct for longer.Read moreRead less
Intermetallic compounds for high reliability electronic interconnections. The aim of the proposal is to develop an entirely new way of joining functional elements of circuit boards using tailored intermetallic joints that replace traditional solders. The outcome will be that electronic devices, from smart phones to smart grids and electric vehicles, will become more reliable and less susceptible to cracking and circuit failure. Electronics will last longer and less E-waste will be generated. Thi ....Intermetallic compounds for high reliability electronic interconnections. The aim of the proposal is to develop an entirely new way of joining functional elements of circuit boards using tailored intermetallic joints that replace traditional solders. The outcome will be that electronic devices, from smart phones to smart grids and electric vehicles, will become more reliable and less susceptible to cracking and circuit failure. Electronics will last longer and less E-waste will be generated. This would revolutionise electronics manufacturing. The project has a high probability of achieving this breakthrough based on unique, world-class expertise in intermetallic compounds and characterisation that has already been established by the international network of Investigators.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.
Molecular Alignments in Organic Semiconductors. The proposed research project is focus on molecular alignments in solution-based organic semiconductors, which is at the frontier of research in the interdisciplinary field of plastic electronics. Molecular ordering has tremendous potential in enhancing both electrical and optical properties and opens up a way to realise new class of molecular electronic and optoelectronic devices. Significant learning from these devices can be applied to practical ....Molecular Alignments in Organic Semiconductors. The proposed research project is focus on molecular alignments in solution-based organic semiconductors, which is at the frontier of research in the interdisciplinary field of plastic electronics. Molecular ordering has tremendous potential in enhancing both electrical and optical properties and opens up a way to realise new class of molecular electronic and optoelectronic devices. Significant learning from these devices can be applied to practical high performance devices to be extremely cheap, recyclable, and mechanical flexible. Read moreRead less