Theoretical and Numerical Analyses on Smart-Cut Technology. Smart-cut is an innovative and effective technique for fabricating high quality silicon-on-insulator structures which are widely used in the semiconductor and microelectronics industries. The quantification of the effects of processing parameters and the optimization of smart-cut process will be conducted in this project. The results are expected to make significant contributions to reducing cost, increasing efficiency and optimizing pr ....Theoretical and Numerical Analyses on Smart-Cut Technology. Smart-cut is an innovative and effective technique for fabricating high quality silicon-on-insulator structures which are widely used in the semiconductor and microelectronics industries. The quantification of the effects of processing parameters and the optimization of smart-cut process will be conducted in this project. The results are expected to make significant contributions to reducing cost, increasing efficiency and optimizing procedure by providing a theoretical and quantitative design methodology to improve the smart-cut technique. Consequently, the outcomes and results of the project will bring many benefits to and encourage further R&D in the semiconductor and microelectronics industries in Australia.Read moreRead less
High-speed bidirectional optical interconnects for board-to-board communications. The project will contribute directly to Australia's participation in various ICT industries through the development of innovative solutions and will increase the knowledge and skills base in silicon-photonics. The development of the proposed board-to-board high-speed optical interconnect prototypes will result in R&D outcomes well-matched to the needs and interests of Australian companies; this project will assist ....High-speed bidirectional optical interconnects for board-to-board communications. The project will contribute directly to Australia's participation in various ICT industries through the development of innovative solutions and will increase the knowledge and skills base in silicon-photonics. The development of the proposed board-to-board high-speed optical interconnect prototypes will result in R&D outcomes well-matched to the needs and interests of Australian companies; this project will assist Australia to capitalise on new technology and to become a significant player in the next ICT boom. This project will put Australia at the cutting edge of high-speed interconnect technology and will generate income through licensing the technology and the establishment of spin-off opportunities in both Australia and off-shore.Read moreRead less
Design Methodology for Low- and Ultra-Low Power Integrated Circuits. This project will develop low-power and ultra low-power technology that is applicable to wide range of products and electronic devices. The results will benefit many areas, for example, wireless sensors employed in environmental monitoring, bio and life monitoring, bio-sensors to improve patient care, reduce medical costs, implantable devices and bio-interfaces that will enhance the quality of life and public health. This proje ....Design Methodology for Low- and Ultra-Low Power Integrated Circuits. This project will develop low-power and ultra low-power technology that is applicable to wide range of products and electronic devices. The results will benefit many areas, for example, wireless sensors employed in environmental monitoring, bio and life monitoring, bio-sensors to improve patient care, reduce medical costs, implantable devices and bio-interfaces that will enhance the quality of life and public health. This project will benefit Australia by developing frontier technologies with a strong potential for global impact. Bringing these solutions to the public and realizing their financial benefits will add a valuable component of economic diversity to the country in addition to positioning Australia as a leader in this field.Read moreRead less
Low Power Architectures for the Wavelet Transform and JPEG2000. Recently a new international standard for image compression has been proposed, JPEG2000. This new method updates the well established JPEG standard and will be incorporated into digital cameras, web pads, etc.
In this project we will investigate low power architectures for the wavelet transforms used in this standard, and combine this with an embedded processor core to deliver a complete system on a chip solution for low power JPEG ....Low Power Architectures for the Wavelet Transform and JPEG2000. Recently a new international standard for image compression has been proposed, JPEG2000. This new method updates the well established JPEG standard and will be incorporated into digital cameras, web pads, etc.
In this project we will investigate low power architectures for the wavelet transforms used in this standard, and combine this with an embedded processor core to deliver a complete system on a chip solution for low power JPEG2000.Read moreRead less
Reliable Truly Deep Sub-micron VLSI Computational Systems. The phenomenal growth of the digital integrated circuits is founded on the fundamental assumption of reliable operation of logic gates on silicon chip. In the Deep Sub-Micron domain this fundamental assumption can no longer be guaranteed. This project, in association with with Dongshin University, Korea with strong links to the semiconductor industry, will develop design techniques for the reliable computational hardware, in the presence ....Reliable Truly Deep Sub-micron VLSI Computational Systems. The phenomenal growth of the digital integrated circuits is founded on the fundamental assumption of reliable operation of logic gates on silicon chip. In the Deep Sub-Micron domain this fundamental assumption can no longer be guaranteed. This project, in association with with Dongshin University, Korea with strong links to the semiconductor industry, will develop design techniques for the reliable computational hardware, in the presence of unreliable circuit fabric. This significant research, with potential for generation of IP, will raise the profile of Australian research in integrated circuits design in the global community and will result in significant publicity for the research team and, through them, for Australian industry.Read moreRead less
MEMS Based Chip-to-Chip Optical Interconnect for Future Generation of Systems In a Package. The project will bring Australian technical known-how into the forefront of the information and communication technology revolution. The technology developed in this project will enable computers to operate at very high speeds. More information can be communicated than ever before. This has significant impact on Australian society where speed of information is increasingly important. The technical knowl ....MEMS Based Chip-to-Chip Optical Interconnect for Future Generation of Systems In a Package. The project will bring Australian technical known-how into the forefront of the information and communication technology revolution. The technology developed in this project will enable computers to operate at very high speeds. More information can be communicated than ever before. This has significant impact on Australian society where speed of information is increasingly important. The technical knowledge of how to make computers operate faster has great commercial value and would be very much sought after. Hence, its impact on the national economy. Read moreRead less
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
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
A 3D CMOS Vision Sensor with Pixel Level Analog-to-Digital Converter and Intelligent Processing. The aim of this research project is to build a smart vision sensor using advanced 3D technology. The smart sensor will consist of two vertically stacked levels comprising the vision sensor chip with pixel-level Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and the processing chip for edge and motion detection. The pixel level ADC will be based on new architectures offering improved performance in terms of dynami ....A 3D CMOS Vision Sensor with Pixel Level Analog-to-Digital Converter and Intelligent Processing. The aim of this research project is to build a smart vision sensor using advanced 3D technology. The smart sensor will consist of two vertically stacked levels comprising the vision sensor chip with pixel-level Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) and the processing chip for edge and motion detection. The pixel level ADC will be based on new architectures offering improved performance in terms of dynamic range, fill-factor, and signal-to-noise ratio. Both the vision and the processing chips will be realised in standard CMOS technology, which make the smart vision sensor very suitable for low cost consumer electronic applications.Read moreRead less
Hardware Verification Techniques for Complex High Performance Systems-on-a-chip. Verifying the correctness of modern integrated circuit designs is a critical success factor from both economic and technological perspectives. Rapid advances in semiconductor manufacturing technology are not matched by similar gains in hardware design verification methodology. This creates a widening verification gap that threatens the viability of future complex integrated circuits. This project aims to address th ....Hardware Verification Techniques for Complex High Performance Systems-on-a-chip. Verifying the correctness of modern integrated circuit designs is a critical success factor from both economic and technological perspectives. Rapid advances in semiconductor manufacturing technology are not matched by similar gains in hardware design verification methodology. This creates a widening verification gap that threatens the viability of future complex integrated circuits. This project aims to address this issue by developing novel hardware verification techniques targeting complex high performance systems-on-a-chip. The research outcome will be a set of verification techniques and tools that directly benefit the advancement of future integrated circuit development, verification and manufacturing.Read moreRead less