Vision and Roadmap for “Microelectronics and VLSI Design” Program

Vision

1. Centre of Excellence and Strategic Importance: VLSI / Microelectronics Design are often considered to be the core of electronics design or enabler of electronics revolution. Given the fact that by year 2020 India’s semiconductor import bill is expected to increase to 55 billion USD, 21% of overall electronics import; Microelectronics & VLSI Design group of IISc, which consist of faculties from ESE and ECE envision to become a centre of excellence in VLSI Design and Microelectronics Design to cater to the nation’s scientific demands and serve as centre of national and strategic importance. This can be achieved by (i) bringing world class faculties and facilities, (ii) state of the art teaching, and (iii) leadership in core and multidisciplinary research with global impact.
2. Key research areas: Our selection of research areas, which are divided into following two categories, are based on a holistic view of what all is involved in the field called “Microelectronics and VLSI Design” (see chart) and what is of future interest for both fundamental science and semiconductor industry.

• Areas of scientific relevance and Interdisciplinary research: This group envisions to embark in the following fields, several are of interdisciplinary nature. Furthermore, we are also open to endeavour completely new areas, given the fact that it is hard to pre-define thrust areas for longer term.

1. Semiconductor Technology / Nanoelectronics
   • Semiconductor Device Design, Characterization and Fabrication
   • Memory technology
   • Computational Nanoelectronics
   • Sensors, MEMs / NEMs, Bio MEMs, etc.
   • III – V semiconductors
   • Solar / Photovoltaic
   • New materials / Material growth
   • Power Semiconductors
   • Photonics, Nanoscience and Quantum Technology
   • Neuromorphic engineering
   • Technology for Light weight / Flexible / Transparent electronics
   • Semiconductor Device reliability
2. VLSI Design
   • Analog and Digital VLSI
   • RF CMOS Design
   • System on Chip
   • Integrated Power Electronics
   • VLSI for Energy-Efficient Systems
   • Low power VLSI
   • Human–machine interface
   • Brain / Analog / Neural computers  
3. VLSI System Enablers
   • VLSI CAD (Verification, VLSI Synthesis & Hardware Security)
   • VLSI Systems (multi-core, hardware accelerators, etc)

• Areas of strategic and national needs: This group, while highlighting its responsibilities towards the nation, appreciates the fact that it must calibrate its interest with the needs of strategic sectors and govt. bodies, while keeping its research goals intact. In this direction, this group will attempt to cater to the needs of agencies like DRDO, ISRO, BEL and BHEL through R&D collaboration. The VLSI / Microelectronics Design group, in national interest, also plans to help the govt. agencies to make national programs like Make in India, Digital India, India Fab Initiative, etc successful by offering research and teaching expertise.     
• Faculty Hiring: This group envisions to hire faculties in the following areas and increase group’s headcount above 20 by year 2023. We are also open to endeavour completely new areas in the broad field of micro/nanoelectronics, nanoscience, nanotechnology and VLSI design, given the fact that it is hard to pre-define thrust areas for longer term:

Semiconductor Technology / Nanoelectronics

• Semiconductor Device Design, Characterization and Fabrication
• Memory technology
• Computational Nanoelectronics
• Sensors, MEMs / NEMs, Bio MEMs, etc.
• III – V semiconductors
• Solar / Photovoltaic
• New materials / Material growth
• Power Semiconductors
• Photonics, Nanoscience and Quantum Technology
• Neuromorphic engineering
• Technology for Light weight / Flexible / Transparent electronics
• Semiconductor Device reliability

VLSI Design

• Analog and Digital VLSI
• RF CMOS Design
• System on Chip
• Integrated Power Electronics
• VLSI for Energy Harvesting and Conversion
• VLSI for Energy-Efficient Systems
• Low power VLSI
• Brain / Analog / Neural computers  
• Human–machine interface  

1. State of the art research labs: Though every faculty brings his/her own ideas and has lab(s) for her/his research, this group is working to establish following centralized labs to cater research activities of individual faculties in the field of VLSI and Nanoelectronics:
   1. Device Fabrication: a portable clean room, to cater “small” day – to – day needs, however with a focus on beyond CMOS technologies
   2. Material growth: For the growth of advance materials keeping our vision of atoms to system in mind
   3. Semiconductor Characterization: Device and material characterization using electrical, optical and mechanical techniques
   4. IC Test Labs: Industry standard, state–of–the–art IC test lab for system – on – chips developed by faculties and students   
   5. Device and Circuit Design lab: this will host state of the art CAD and design tools required for microelectronic device and VLSI circuit design.
2. 21^st Century Education: Research and education goes hand–in–hand. This group’s vision is to offer class room and online courses as per the demand of 21^st Microelectronics and VLSI Design group envision expanding the course portfolio and strengthening the micro/nanoelectronics program in the department. Beside this, we plan to offer online certification courses to industry and students worldwide. Activities in this direction have already started in IISc.    

1. The group also plans to:

• Increase national and international visibility by building a very strong faculty portfolio and perusing world class research.
• M-Tech Microelectronics & VLSI Design being among one of the successful M-Tech program of the institute, the group envisions to increase student seats to 100 by 2023. Moreover, the group targets to graduate more than 50 PhD students per year by 2023 with a core faculty strength above 20.
• Increase industry presence from all across the globe.
• Start national challenges / competitions.
• Offer Online Courses.
• Increase industry participation by helping Industry to grow.
• Industry affiliate program
• Conduct workshops with Industry, government and strategic sectors from time to time, to help the eco-system grow.

Roadmap (5 Year Plan)