Towards high-performance wearable devices: materials and microfabrication. This project aims to design and develop functional nanomaterials and nanocomposites for high-performance wearable tactile sensors, integrating the sensors with nanogenerator and charge storage devices. In addition to the functional materials approach, precise control of device architecture through additive manufacturing and laser patterning will be implemented to maximise device performance. The expected outcomes of this ....Towards high-performance wearable devices: materials and microfabrication. This project aims to design and develop functional nanomaterials and nanocomposites for high-performance wearable tactile sensors, integrating the sensors with nanogenerator and charge storage devices. In addition to the functional materials approach, precise control of device architecture through additive manufacturing and laser patterning will be implemented to maximise device performance. The expected outcomes of this project include the detailed understanding of the nanomaterials structural-property relationship under constant mechanical stresses and establishing fundamental principle on the microfabrication of nano device wearable devices. This project will advance the field of materials chemistry and advanced manufacturing with niche high value-added products.Read moreRead less
Exploring electronic functionality in low-dimensional carbon and boron-nitride nanomaterials via advanced theoretical modelling. This project will spawn innovative carbon/boron nitride materials for next-generation electronics devices by devising new strategies to manipulate and control electronic structure as well as charge/spin transport properties. Outcomes will include technological breakthroughs leading to truly smaller, faster and smarter electronics materials.
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
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
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
Light Emitting Transistors: A New Route to Digital Displays and Lasers. This project intends to create new light-emitting display technology with the potential to offer much cheaper, recyclable, and mechanically flexible semiconductors. Organic light-emitting field effect transistors are an emerging class of integrated optoelectronic device with dual functionalities (ie a light emitting and a switch transistor in single device structure). The dual-functioned devices provide a promising pathway t ....Light Emitting Transistors: A New Route to Digital Displays and Lasers. This project intends to create new light-emitting display technology with the potential to offer much cheaper, recyclable, and mechanically flexible semiconductors. Organic light-emitting field effect transistors are an emerging class of integrated optoelectronic device with dual functionalities (ie a light emitting and a switch transistor in single device structure). The dual-functioned devices provide a promising pathway to much more economical display technologies and tunable organic lasers. The principal goal of this project is to develop a new route to achieve simplified display pixels and electrically pumped organic lasers by using organic light-emitting transistors platform with new organic chromophores. The new semiconductors could be easily integrated into a wide range of applications such as telecommunications, biomedical and consumer electronics.Read moreRead less
Nonvolatile Dynamic Memories. This project will expand the knowledge base that will support the development of a frontier technology (superior memory chips) to be undertaken by an Australian based start-up company (QsRAM). The project will provide an excellent environment for training researchers who will be able to lead development of frontier technologies. It will also generate additional intellectual property with high potential to spawn new commercial activities. Direct financial benefit fro ....Nonvolatile Dynamic Memories. This project will expand the knowledge base that will support the development of a frontier technology (superior memory chips) to be undertaken by an Australian based start-up company (QsRAM). The project will provide an excellent environment for training researchers who will be able to lead development of frontier technologies. It will also generate additional intellectual property with high potential to spawn new commercial activities. Direct financial benefit from any commercialization of the intellectual property can be assured through standard practices in the semiconductor industry (license fees, royalties, product design, etc.)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
Reconfigurable Computing Implementations of Reactive Systems. Reconfigurable computing combines programmable software with programmable hardware and shows real promise as an efficient implementation technology for real-time embedded computing applications. However, its use in real-time systems has been hampered by a lack of rigorous analysis of its benefits, and by a lack of a suitable methodology for the efficient specification, analysis and design of such systems. This project seeks to deve ....Reconfigurable Computing Implementations of Reactive Systems. Reconfigurable computing combines programmable software with programmable hardware and shows real promise as an efficient implementation technology for real-time embedded computing applications. However, its use in real-time systems has been hampered by a lack of rigorous analysis of its benefits, and by a lack of a suitable methodology for the efficient specification, analysis and design of such systems. This project seeks to develop such a methodology, and demonstrate its benefits through several proof-of-concept application implementations.Read moreRead less
Boolean plasmonics: the design of nano-optical logic gates. The success of this project will see the development of an all-optical nano-scale logic gate. Such a device will drastically improve communications and information technology. Standard lithographic techniques will be used ensuring reproducibility and mass production, placing Australia at the forefront of the photonic market.