E-Lab Projects
Biomedical instrumentation: patch-clamp amplifiers
We are the first group to fully integrate a patch-clamp measurement system for whole-cell recordings in a millimeter size. This device is used to study the physiology of living cells and to test and improve the safety of medical compounds. The device can be used in high-throughput systems to test 384 wells simultaneously. We have achieved 5pA RMS in noise performance and a 5pF capacitance and 5Mohms resistance compensation capabilities.
Biomedical instrumentation: NeuroView - voltage-sensitive dye imaging (VSDI) optical neural recording system
Collaboration with Vincent Pieribone (Yale-Pierce Fnd.). We have developed an implantable optical interface to animal brain to detect fluorescent signals from voltage-sensitive dyes. Our device is composed of a 10,000fps mage sensor array with 14bits os SNR and a miniatirized epi-fluorescence microscope. We are able to operate both in the visible optical wavelengths with standard CMOS technolgies and also in the UV range with our custom sensor in Silicon on Sapphire CMOS.
SOS UWB ultra-wide-band communication circuits
We have developed a RF front-end for an UWB transmitter that can operate with sub milli-watt of power at multi-megabit rates and at micro-watts of power for kilohertz data rates. This device can be used for body area networks and sensor networks. The device uses the SOS process to optimize its operation at high-speeds and low-power consumption.
Image Sensors for Sensor Networks
We develop image sensors and algorithms for applications in assisted living, security networks, smart imaging and video networks for Wireless Sensor Networks . One of our success is the design of an ultra-low power temporal-difference image sensor. We have recently developed a fall detector for assisted living applications. See our fall detector project that has won the best paper award at IEEE ISCAS 2008.
SOS Photodetectors and Image sensors
We are the first to design and test fully functional image sensors arrays in the SOS process. We have designed and tested PN photodiodes , PIN photodiodes and MOS phototransistors . We have developed a CMOS UV detector array capable of multiple 1000fps in the SOS process.
SOS Analog to digital converters
We have developed ultra-low power analog to digital converters that take advantage of the insulating substrate of SOS and deliver performance comparable to deep sub-micron processes. We use capacitors arrays that can only be fabricated in SOS/SOI substrates. We have reached FOMs of 8fJ/conv. in a 0.5um SOS process.
SOS Energy Harvesting Circuits
We have developed ultra-low voltage circuits in SOS that can extract energy from harvesting sources. We can operate band-gap references, temperature sensors, RF pulse modulators and voltage-controlled oscillators and rectifiers with a 0.5V supply and micro-watt power consumption.
3D integration on Silicon on Sapphire
We developed isolation techniques in Silicon on Sapphire that are able to exchange power and data between two parts of a die or two different dies. We use this technology for assembling multi-chip modules that are integrated in 3D. This research focuses on the design and fabrication of a fully three-dimensional image sensor and other prototypes of 3D integrated circuits.