Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The rapid advances in the global electronics industry have made the communications and computing products to be part of day-to-day life and highly pervasive. The massive user demand for higher bandwidth and advanced communication as well as better information management are necessitating newer generations of multi-function electronic circuits and systems that operate with lower-power and sharper excitations. *However, due to such high data rates and the desire for nanoscale designs, high-frequency and high-density related issues are fast becoming the dominant factors limiting the performance of electronic designs. Consequently, it is imperative to note that, the traditional/artificial boundaries between different design disciplines such as circuits, electromagnetics, thermal and mechanical, etc. are fast vanishing and mixed-domain design challenges are emerging. Designers, while being challenged with the increasing need for multiphysics based co-design and co-analysis involving diverse and heterogeneous design modules, are not adequately supported by the currently available design framework and methodologies. To address the above difficulties, following research initiatives are proposed to develop a new-frame work and design methodologies focused on high-speed electronic circuits and systems:*(a) Development of efficient and accurate multiphysics based frameworks for mixed-domain analysis of analog, digital, radio frequency (RF), electromagnetic (EM) and microelectromechanical (MEMS) modules.*(b) Development of signal, power and EMI (electromagnetic interference) co-design and co-analysis methodologies and tools, focusing on advanced interconnect models, power distribution networks and tabulated data based subnetworks.*(c) Development of novel circuit simulation and optimization methodologies with emphasis on exploiting the emerging multicore computational platforms.*The proposed research initiatives are focused on strategic issues, to advance the state-of-the art in various aspects of high-speed and low-power applications in a wide range of electronic design levels. The impact of the proposed research would be to facilitate the development of new generation multidisciplinary framework for concurrent analysis and validation of high-speed modules encompassing all levels of VLSI design hierarchy, such as on-chip, multi-chip modules, interconnects, packages and printed circuit boards. The outcomes of the proposed research initiatives are expected to expand the horizons of existing design platforms while reducing the design cycle time of new products, leading to innovative multi-function electronic and communication products entering our markets, resulting in a healthier Canadian and global economy.*