Circuits and Devices at the Institute of Electrical and Micro Engineering
This domain is an essential core area in EE as well as in EPFL. It deals with the design and experimentation of electronic devices and their integration into circuits and systems. The activities are not necessarily limited to conventional silicon-based technologies, but cover a wide range that includes novel technologies. The circuits and systems area has several core strengths : the ability to model complex physical phenomena and devices that are used for various fundamental functions (such as storage, signal amplification, and switching); the ability to abstract the time-domain and frequency-domain operation of complex systems and networks using a consistent mathematical framework; and the ability to create a strong link between theory and experimental results.
Building on this foundation, the circuits, systems and devices area is uniquely positioned to further grow and systematically address new challenges such as nanoelectronic devices and circuits.
Activities in the Electrical Engineering Institute also touch upon the physical layer of communication systems, including optics and electromagnetics (EM), and EE labs are very active in areas like computational electromagnetics and in the design and miniaturization of antennas, sensors and other primary EM radiators.
Key research themes
- Biosensors : integrated systems, miniaturized detection of biomolecules, electrical-based interactions with living matter, high-throughput systems.
- Design methods and tools : algorithms and tools for integrated circuits and systems design, 3D systems, nanoarchitectures and integrated biosystems. Language-based modeling and validation of SoC components.
- Digital and mixed-signal VLSI circuit design : analog and mixed-signal IC design, sensors interface and signal processing, analog VLSI, analog CAD tools, intelligent system architectures.
- Low-power : analog and RF CMOS IC design, wireless and VLSI design for sensor networks, device modelling, MOS transistor models (EKV).
- Nano-electronics : design and modelling of nanoscale solid-state devices. Electronic properties of nanoscale structures; device and circuit design, fabrication and modeling.
- Computational electromagnetics : design, analysis and characterization of passive microwave and mm-wave circuits, antennas and wireless devices.