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Current and evolving applications (and the integrated
systems that enable them) continue to require significant advances in
their underlying circuit implementation. However, as CMOS scaling has
shifted into a regime where most of the device parameters do not
significantly improve with miniaturization, realizing these circuit
advances has become increasingly difficult to achieve. Thus, driven by
the over-arching themes of energy-efficiency and robustness in the face
of variability, our goal in this group is to develop and demonstrate
leading edge circuit technologies to tackle these challenges.
Given the many different functions integrated into modern ICs,
researchers within this group focus on a variety of building blocks and
their associated design methodologies, including digital computing and
signal processing circuits, memories, data converters, clock generation
and synthesis circuits, embedded testing and characterization circuits,
RF components, integrated voltage regulators, and high-speed serial
transceivers. In order to evaluate our techniques in the most realistic
environment possible, many of the concepts developed within the group are
demonstrated in some of the most advanced CMOS processes available
(including 45 and 32nm). To push the boundaries even further, our group
is also exploring circuit designs exploiting the properties of
next-generation and alternative switching devices such as FinFETs,
spin-based transistors, and nano-mechanical relays.
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Projects
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