Advanced Microelectronic Systems Engineering (MSc in AMSE)

&Centre of Excellence in Microelectronics (CEM)

Discussion Forum

13th December 2007

Agenda 1. Apologies & Introductions2. Agreement of Agenda and objectives3. Minutes & Action Points from previous meeting (19th July 2007)4. Update: MSc in AMSE

Current Cohort Course Structure Industrial Projects

5. Update: Centre of Excellence in Microelectronics Current Status What we have been doing Relationship with SWERDA ‘Silicon Centre of Excellence’ Next steps?

6. Comments from Industrialists and strengthening involvement7. A.O.B8. Date of Next meeting – Thursday 24th January 2008 (TBC)

Action points• Action 4.1: Dr Morris to follow up offer of Nick Weiner and liaise with

Industry in developing the ICE unit – ongoing.

• Action 4.2: Dr Warr to report back on the meeting with Cadence.

• Action 4.3: Prof Beach to look at whether stand alone units are viable.

• Action 5.1: Dr Warr to revise content of Analogue Abstraction and System Simulation unit.

• Action 5.2: Dr Kocak to draft content of Advanced VLSI Design unit

• In general, proposals for new/revised units need to be submitted in time for the 11 Feb 2008 / 17 March 2008 FPARC meeting to be approved for 2008-9.

Integrated Circuit Electronics (ICE)Circuit Design - Actions to date

• Previous syllabus reviewed• Lectures currently being written• Delivery of course from January to Feb 08

• This part of the course is only 12 hours

• Course will cover the following main points• Design of single stage integrated circuit amplifiers• Design of mosfet and bgt current mirrors

– Both basic and advanced current mirror structure

• CMOS differential amplifiers • 2 stage differential amplifiers

• Remaining twelve hours of programme will cover device technology

Update on ‘Cadence’ Tools

• Have 40 FOC IC package licences from Cadence (with help and support of Phyworks).

• EE is currently in negotiation with Cadence regarding membership of the ANCE Academic Network on Cadence in Europe. CS will also join the network alongside EE. • This network will afford direct application support to the

University with guaranteed functionality alongside teaching support and method dissemination across the Europe-wide member institutions.

• IC6.1 now functioning in EE as of 12.12.07

Standalone Delivery of AMSE Units to Industry

• Most units could be delivered as a ‘Training Course’• Custom delivery (eg. Mon & Tues over a 2 to

3 week period cover a ’24hr’ unit)• For 10 delegates, est. £10K• Need to identify a ‘specific request’ to provide

a firm quotation and delivery plan

Update on new unit ‘AASS’

• Revision of NEW unit description on ‘Analogue Abstraction and System Simulation unit’.• Previous comments (19th July 2007 meeting)

included.

Update on the VLSI Design Units

• Revised the existing VLSI Design unit to include custom design techniques

• The revision was approved by the Faculty on 22nd Nov• This unit will be offered in the revised format in Spring 2008• Plan to offer a new unit “Advanced VLSI Design” in Spring

2009• Action 1: Move VLSI Design unit to Teaching Block 1 submit

this to Faculty committee for the 11 Feb 2008 meeting• Action 2: Define the contents of Advanced VLSI unit and lab

and submit proposal to the Faculty committee for the 17 March 2008 meeting to be approved for 2008-9.

Update on MSc 2007/8

• 15 students enrolled• 1 UK, 2EU, 12 international• 11 Foundation, 4 Experienced (w.r.t. C Sci)

• Two new units running for the programme• Analogue IC Design

• Paul Warr

• Advanced DSP & FPGA implementation• José Nuñez-Yañez and Naim Dahnoun

• Industrially Led Research Projects (from 2pm)

Centre of Excellence in Microelectronics (CEM)

• Goals:• Expansion of activities (teaching and research) in the

Microelectronics arena, in particular to significantly strengthen industrial partnerships with EE & CS.

• Teaching: Increase both UG and PGT student base to meet recruitment needs of ICT sector (national and regional focus) as well as providing income stream.

• Research: Widen research base (ie. expansion of VLSI research, in particular analogue aspects of high speed digital, analogue/RF & Smart devices). Strengthen relationship with other Faculty and University themes (Energy & Sustainability)

CEM: Status of ‘Outputs’

• 2 x 1-page flyers issued to companies• 27th July 2007

• Statement of Aims & Seeking Industrial Support

• 26th November 2007 • Seeking an indicative sign-up to commitment support for

studentships, donations (equipment and software), secondments, hosting research project students

• 8 companies have ‘signed-up’ and 3 likely to follow

• Space to move from ‘Virtual CEM’ to ‘Physical CEM’• University Gate level 2 (part) & 1 (part) 474m2

• Reconfiguration, Refurbishment and Relocation• Estimated cost £2.75M• Awarded £50K for detailed planning by ‘Sifting’

Ongoing Issues / etc:

• Engage planning progress for CEM ‘Space’• Agree process and responsibility for review with

Bursars office• Establish project group • Agree terms of reference for review • Initiate review & Report

• Submit refined/updated bid to Sifting.

Ongoing Issues / etc:

• National skill shortage in ICT• Both CS and EE degree programmes, inc taught

masters have been accredited (Oct 2007)• MSc AMSE ‘awarded subject to graduation of first cohort of

students’

• Post accreditation visited IET to discuss recruitment problems in ICT sector

• IET now fully aware• Faraday now addresses ‘School Interest in Engineering’ for

UG market

• Can NMI assist with home/EU recruitment for PGT in this sector?

SWERDA’s Silicon Centre of Excellence

• Regional Centre providing access to state-of-the-art facilities for Fab-less Silicon Design Companies• Silicon Characterisation Laboratory

• Testers (Teradyne, Agilent)• In-house ‘testing’ experts

• Complementary to University activity to generate more graduates & post graduates in ICT sector.

Comments from Industrialists