NaMLab is coordinating two projects in the framework of the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions funded by the European. Both projects target at Low TRL research in micro-electronics and integration technologies for industrial solutions. Together with multiple partners from academia and industry NaMLab contributes towards a strategic European autonomy in digital technologies by the development of disruptive emerging key-enabling technologies for future edge applications.
Smart cities and smart homes, autonomous vehicles, and industry 4.0 are driving the technology market away from an information-centric past to a sensing-and-actuation-centric future. The technological needs for this transformation are complex, as sensing technologies are very diverse and not driven solely by scaling, performance and cost, as opposed to the case of CMOS electronics.
In SENSOTERIC, we aim at developing a reconfigurable sensor front-end platform to accommodate both, a reconfigurable sensor transducer (RST) and a generic analogue sensor front-end (AFE). More specifically, reconfigurable transistors (RFETs) that allow dynamic operation with either p-type to n-type behaviour or in a negative differential resistance mode will be used to provide a sensor interface. The unique ability to provide adjustable device characteristics after manufacturing directly at runtime, will allow the sensor interface to adapt to the changes in environmental conditions, thus resulting in improved sensor signal quality while reducing power consumption at the same time. The superior noise properties of RFETs makes the technology especially promising for bio-sensing such as cancer detection.
On the other side, in a multi-disciplinary approach FIXIT addresses the challenge to develop an innovative ultra-low power ferroelectric computing platform. Thereby, FIXIT encompasses all aspects starting from the development of ferroelectric materials and corresponding manufacturing process technologies via ferroelectric device design, characterization, modelling and hybrid integration or packaging together with conventional CMOS circuits. Our final goal is the demonstration of superior energy efficiency and performance of our computing platform in an AI-driven sensing-application.
In this way, FIXIT complements the analogue-front end solutions from SENSOTERIC towards the demonstration of seamlessly embedded sensor integration into electronic systems. Both actions together received a total volume of 8 M€ funding and will run for four years.
You can learn more about both projects on our websites, or in social media:
Both actions are funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
