Model-Reduction Techniques for Control, Communication and Circuits. Model reduction is an important area of study in the analysis and design of dynamical systems. Its objective is to obtain a low-order model given a high-order system model such that the low-order model closely approximates the input-output behaviour of the original high-order system. Although theory and application of model reduction is well developed, there are many unresolved issues such as efficient model reduction techniq ....Model-Reduction Techniques for Control, Communication and Circuits. Model reduction is an important area of study in the analysis and design of dynamical systems. Its objective is to obtain a low-order model given a high-order system model such that the low-order model closely approximates the input-output behaviour of the original high-order system. Although theory and application of model reduction is well developed, there are many unresolved issues such as efficient model reduction techniques for large-scale circuit simulation and communication applications, frequency-weighted model reduction techniques for controller-design applications, and error bounds for the reduction techniques. The project aims to address these issues.Read moreRead less
Smart CMOS Vision Sensors in Deep Sub-0.25um CMOS Technologies. This research project aims to develop a new generation of smart vision sensors featuring on-chip and pixel-level implementation of human vision based algorithms. Built in state-of-the-art deep sub-0.25um CMOS technologies, these imagers will feature extensive in-pixel processing power in contrast to the currently commercially available CMOS vision sensors. This will enable on-chip vision-based decision making but also increased on-c ....Smart CMOS Vision Sensors in Deep Sub-0.25um CMOS Technologies. This research project aims to develop a new generation of smart vision sensors featuring on-chip and pixel-level implementation of human vision based algorithms. Built in state-of-the-art deep sub-0.25um CMOS technologies, these imagers will feature extensive in-pixel processing power in contrast to the currently commercially available CMOS vision sensors. This will enable on-chip vision-based decision making but also increased on-chip image processing. These innovative system-on-chip features will contribute towards the positioning of CMOS imaging technology as the technology of choice for most digital imaging applications, in place of the existing, and so far unchallenged, CCD technology.
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Monolithic Integration of Silicon Waveguide and Ge1-xSix Photodetector on Silicon-on Insulator Platform for Intra-chip Optical Interconnect. Photonics has become the major technology underpinning the communication and storage of data. As photonics advances applications are emerging which demand components be manufactured cheaply in the manner achieved by the electronics industry in the silicon chip. Silicon is now emerging as an important photonic material and devices can benefit from inexpensiv ....Monolithic Integration of Silicon Waveguide and Ge1-xSix Photodetector on Silicon-on Insulator Platform for Intra-chip Optical Interconnect. Photonics has become the major technology underpinning the communication and storage of data. As photonics advances applications are emerging which demand components be manufactured cheaply in the manner achieved by the electronics industry in the silicon chip. Silicon is now emerging as an important photonic material and devices can benefit from inexpensive processing methods developed for electronics. This project aims to capture key intellectual property for monolithically integrating key photonic components onto a silicon platform. The project can bring social and commercial benefits to Australia such as high-level research and training in nanotechnology as well as opportunities for commercialisation in niche markets.Read moreRead less
Dynamic signal processing with currents. Today's digital computers and communications devices, such as mobile phones, contain continuous time filters as necessary and important components. We will investigate an integrated circuit design methodology for the creation of fully programmable versions of such filters. Currently these filters are redesigned for each application and are often external to the IC. This increases the size and cost of the design. Another outcome of the methodology is a cur ....Dynamic signal processing with currents. Today's digital computers and communications devices, such as mobile phones, contain continuous time filters as necessary and important components. We will investigate an integrated circuit design methodology for the creation of fully programmable versions of such filters. Currently these filters are redesigned for each application and are often external to the IC. This increases the size and cost of the design. Another outcome of the methodology is a current domain signal processor. This will be capable of modelling complex systems such as biological neurons and stock option pricing. We will build these systems and interface them with digital computers.Read moreRead less
Biomimetic Ultra-Thin Compound-Eye Vision Sensor. With the recent advances in microelectronic fabrication technology, it becomes possible today to fabricate paper-thin imaging systems. The proposed research will target the development of such systems to enable the concept of 'stick-on cameras'. Examples of potential applications for this new imaging technology include head-mounted camera patches for rescue workers, smart credit card capable of identifying its user by fingerprint technology, disc ....Biomimetic Ultra-Thin Compound-Eye Vision Sensor. With the recent advances in microelectronic fabrication technology, it becomes possible today to fabricate paper-thin imaging systems. The proposed research will target the development of such systems to enable the concept of 'stick-on cameras'. Examples of potential applications for this new imaging technology include head-mounted camera patches for rescue workers, smart credit card capable of identifying its user by fingerprint technology, discrete monitoring of venues, preventing driver's drowsiness inside a car but also assisting in medical diagnosis and minimally invasive surgery. This leading edge research will enhance the reputation of Australia as a leader in frontier technologies.Read moreRead less
RNS Hardware for Public-Key Cryptography and E-security. In a world where electronic communication is ever-present, the security of electronic information, e-security, is an issue of the utmost concern for government, business and individuals alike. Public-key cryptography is a powerful tool in the e-security toolkit. Using this technology it is possible to confirm the identity of individuals, maintain the privacy of personal data and guarantee the authenticity of transactions.
The aim of this ....RNS Hardware for Public-Key Cryptography and E-security. In a world where electronic communication is ever-present, the security of electronic information, e-security, is an issue of the utmost concern for government, business and individuals alike. Public-key cryptography is a powerful tool in the e-security toolkit. Using this technology it is possible to confirm the identity of individuals, maintain the privacy of personal data and guarantee the authenticity of transactions.
The aim of this project is to design new public-key cryptography hardware to provide faster, more secure communications for computers, networks and smart cards. Achieving this will require innovations in the way computers perform arithmetic and how this arithmetic is realised as an integrated circuit.Read moreRead less
Charge and Interface Properties of Novel Gallium Nitride Transistor Structures for Application in Low-Noise High-Frequency Electronics. Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based transistors offer a unique opportunity to simultaneously achieve both high power and low noise from amplifiers. This project aims to improve material and device design of GaN-based transistors. It comprises a systematic comparison of charge and interface properties with power and noise performance measurements of high electron mobilit ....Charge and Interface Properties of Novel Gallium Nitride Transistor Structures for Application in Low-Noise High-Frequency Electronics. Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based transistors offer a unique opportunity to simultaneously achieve both high power and low noise from amplifiers. This project aims to improve material and device design of GaN-based transistors. It comprises a systematic comparison of charge and interface properties with power and noise performance measurements of high electron mobility transistors grown using a broad variety of novel growth, processing and device innovations. The expected outcome of the program includes key advances in the areas of GaN materials growth, device processing and passivation technology, which will ultimately lead to breakthrough performance in ultra-low-noise electronics for high frequency systems.Read moreRead less
Reconfigurable MicroPhotonic Processor. This research aims to study a new reconfigurable MicroPhotonic processor capable of performing many optical functions simultaneously. In this project, research is particularly focused on reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexing (ROADM) for future Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (DWDM) optical networks. The significance of the MicroPhotonic architecture is that it can add/drop a single or multiple wavelength channels, and can scale to tens of chan ....Reconfigurable MicroPhotonic Processor. This research aims to study a new reconfigurable MicroPhotonic processor capable of performing many optical functions simultaneously. In this project, research is particularly focused on reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexing (ROADM) for future Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed (DWDM) optical networks. The significance of the MicroPhotonic architecture is that it can add/drop a single or multiple wavelength channels, and can scale to tens of channels while maintaining low insertion loss and low crosstalk. The outcome will be a new reconfigurable MicroPhotonic ROADM architecture which overcomes existing scaling bottlenecks for processing hundreds of DWDM channels.Read moreRead less
Achieving high linearity over broad bands in transistor circuits for communication applications. This project provides techniques to achieve the distortion performance required for the next generation communication circuits. By establishing new knowledge and skill within Australia to expand international competitiveness, it will position Australia as the leader in high performance circuit design, strengthen international collaboration, and allow the development of high performance broadband syst ....Achieving high linearity over broad bands in transistor circuits for communication applications. This project provides techniques to achieve the distortion performance required for the next generation communication circuits. By establishing new knowledge and skill within Australia to expand international competitiveness, it will position Australia as the leader in high performance circuit design, strengthen international collaboration, and allow the development of high performance broadband systems. An opportunity will be presented to enter the transistor characterization market on a competitive basis, which is a business suited to distance working within the international sector. Improved circuit performance will enable breakthrough discoveries in areas like radio astronomy, medical imaging, radar and detection, and instrumentation.Read moreRead less
Future generation high-performance radio communications circuits in gallium nitride technology. Techniques will be developed to exploit the potential of an emerging commercial gallium nitride technology for future communication systems. By establishing new knowledge and skill to expand international competitiveness, it will position Australia among the leaders in high performance circuit design, strengthen international collaboration, and allow the development of future high performance wireless ....Future generation high-performance radio communications circuits in gallium nitride technology. Techniques will be developed to exploit the potential of an emerging commercial gallium nitride technology for future communication systems. By establishing new knowledge and skill to expand international competitiveness, it will position Australia among the leaders in high performance circuit design, strengthen international collaboration, and allow the development of future high performance wireless systems. This is an opportunity to diversify to a new technology on a competitive basis. This circuit design business is suited to distance working within the international sector. Improved circuit performance will enable breakthrough discoveries in areas like medical imaging, radar, detection, and instrumentation.Read moreRead less