Devices, Circuits, and Systems
The Devices, Circuits and Systems (DCS) research area brings together several groups with complementary expertise across the full electronics value chain.
The area covers the chain from micro/nanoelectronic and quantum devices to integrated circuits, hardware architectures, embedded platforms and intelligent systems. It integrates physical modelling, microelectronic design, design automation, hardware/software co-design, prototyping, experimental validation and technology transfer, with the aim of developing electronic technologies that are energy-efficient, reliable, secure, scalable and oriented towards real-world applications.
At device level, the area investigates semiconductors, microwave and optoelectronic devices, power and energy-conversion devices, integrated sensors, and molecular, memristive, nanoelectronic and quantum devices. Activities include multiscale and multiphysics modelling, charge-transport simulation, RF, cryogenic and reliability characterization, the study of heterostructure devices and platforms for quantum, nanoelectronic and neuromorphic systems (MOG-Dev, QNANO, LiNCS, microELN@DET). The area also addresses qubit technologies, molecular electronics, nanoscale sensors and unconventional computing.
At circuit level, the area develops analog, mixed-signal, digital and power integrated solutions; readout interfaces for sensors and biosensors; ultra-low-power and ultra-low-voltage circuits; A/D and D/A converters, power management, energy harvesting, DC-DC conversion and electromagnetic compatibility (AMPS, I2SG, eLiONS, microELN@DET). The expertise includes cryogenic CMOS circuits for qubit control and readout, neuromorphic, in-memory and near-memory computing architectures, hardware accelerators for DSP, artificial intelligence, post-quantum cryptography and unconventional computing, with FPGA and ASIC implementations and RISC-V-based SoCs (EDGE-Group, μSLED, I2SG, microELN@DET). The groups have the expertise and infrastructure needed to conceive, develop, fabricate and test integrated circuits in micro- and nanometric technologies.
At system level, the area designs embedded, cyber-physical and distributed AIoT platforms, edge-AI/TinyML systems and architectures for local processing, developing prototypes that are validated with a view to achieving technological maturity (ApplES, eLiONS, Neuronica, EDGE-Group, μSLED, I2SG). Activities include hardware/software co-design, design-space exploration, PCB prototyping, hardware security, resilience to side-channel attacks, distributed intelligence, digital twins, predictive maintenance and decision support based on interpretable data.
Applications include digital health, telemedicine, wearable, implantable and injectable devices, robotics and tactile sensing, climate-smart agriculture and agrifood, monitoring of beehives and crops, intelligent industrial systems, automotive, telecommunications, space, critical infrastructures and quantum technologies. The coexistence of expertise in devices, circuits and systems enables the DCS area to connect physical principles, models, integration technologies, computing architectures and applications, contributing to intelligent, sustainable electronic systems with high scientific and industrial impact.
The area covers the chain from micro/nanoelectronic and quantum devices to integrated circuits, hardware architectures, embedded platforms and intelligent systems. It integrates physical modelling, microelectronic design, design automation, hardware/software co-design, prototyping, experimental validation and technology transfer, with the aim of developing electronic technologies that are energy-efficient, reliable, secure, scalable and oriented towards real-world applications.
At device level, the area investigates semiconductors, microwave and optoelectronic devices, power and energy-conversion devices, integrated sensors, and molecular, memristive, nanoelectronic and quantum devices. Activities include multiscale and multiphysics modelling, charge-transport simulation, RF, cryogenic and reliability characterization, the study of heterostructure devices and platforms for quantum, nanoelectronic and neuromorphic systems (MOG-Dev, QNANO, LiNCS, microELN@DET). The area also addresses qubit technologies, molecular electronics, nanoscale sensors and unconventional computing.
At circuit level, the area develops analog, mixed-signal, digital and power integrated solutions; readout interfaces for sensors and biosensors; ultra-low-power and ultra-low-voltage circuits; A/D and D/A converters, power management, energy harvesting, DC-DC conversion and electromagnetic compatibility (AMPS, I2SG, eLiONS, microELN@DET). The expertise includes cryogenic CMOS circuits for qubit control and readout, neuromorphic, in-memory and near-memory computing architectures, hardware accelerators for DSP, artificial intelligence, post-quantum cryptography and unconventional computing, with FPGA and ASIC implementations and RISC-V-based SoCs (EDGE-Group, μSLED, I2SG, microELN@DET). The groups have the expertise and infrastructure needed to conceive, develop, fabricate and test integrated circuits in micro- and nanometric technologies.
At system level, the area designs embedded, cyber-physical and distributed AIoT platforms, edge-AI/TinyML systems and architectures for local processing, developing prototypes that are validated with a view to achieving technological maturity (ApplES, eLiONS, Neuronica, EDGE-Group, μSLED, I2SG). Activities include hardware/software co-design, design-space exploration, PCB prototyping, hardware security, resilience to side-channel attacks, distributed intelligence, digital twins, predictive maintenance and decision support based on interpretable data.
Applications include digital health, telemedicine, wearable, implantable and injectable devices, robotics and tactile sensing, climate-smart agriculture and agrifood, monitoring of beehives and crops, intelligent industrial systems, automotive, telecommunications, space, critical infrastructures and quantum technologies. The coexistence of expertise in devices, circuits and systems enables the DCS area to connect physical principles, models, integration technologies, computing architectures and applications, contributing to intelligent, sustainable electronic systems with high scientific and industrial impact.