Research group
Integrated Circuits and Systems research group led by Prof. Unnikrishnan develops signal processing concepts, hardware architectures, and circuit techniques toward energy-efficient high-performance analog/digital/RF/mixed-signal integrated circuits and systems in nanometer-scale CMOS nodes. A dominant theme is to explore the possibility of building analog/mixed-signal circuits with digital/switch components by utilizing time-based parameters of pulse waveform for representation of analog information, thus improving the scaling-friendliness and cross-technology portability of analog interfaces. Starting from behavioral modeling of systems and communication links along with underlying nonidealities, the group develops new system architectures and circuit techniques to push the performance boundary and validate them in Silicon by designing and characterizing prototype chips in nanometer-scale CMOS technologies. Application areas of interest include 6G wireless transceivers, high-speed serial links and wireline transceivers, biomedical electronics etc. The group works in close collaboration with the SoC Hub.
Research infrastructure
Advanced RFIC laboratory with a Faraday-cage measurement chamber (down to -100 dB electromagnetic isolation), an RF on-die probe station, and advanced instrumentation including wideband oscilloscopes, vector signal generators, and signal analyzers, all with frequency support up to at least 40 GHz. The group also has access to RF laboratory with additional RF measurement infrastructure, and the SoC Hub ecosystem with advanced servers, EDA software, and nanometer semiconductor technologies required for IC prototyping.