PhD School Program
How Electronics drives global innovation
Since its first applications, Electronics acted as a tremendous driving force for innovation in a number of fields. This trend, rather than weakening, has become stronger and more widespread over time. Nowadays, Electronics is the main source of the technologies that enable progress and new breakthroughs in all other advanced technological and scientific fields. E-Mobility, IoT infrastructures, wearable devices, advanced sensing platforms, personal health monitoring devices, to name just a few fields whose advances have a huge impact in society, all rely on high-performance electron devices and systems for their implementation. What is more, Electronics has become extremely pervasive, so that even food supply and distribution chain or civil engineering applications rely more and more on Electronics for quality insurance, security assessment and performance monitoring.
The 2023 PhD School in Electronics aims at providing an in-depth discussion of the role of Electronics as an enabling and pervasive discipline. Professionals and researchers with industrial and academic backgrounds will also provide non-trivial examples of the transformative effect that dedicated and innovative design approaches, as well as advances in materials and devices, have had, and are expected to have, in the most promising and advanced innovation fields.
Logistic information
Travel and accomodation information in Italian can be found HERE.
Travel and accomodation information in English can be found HERE.
Please note: bus transfer form Messina to Noto for PhD students attending both the PhD School and the SIE meeting, will be managed, free of charge, by the organizers of the events. Details (shedule) will be published in the detailed PhD School program.
Detailed program
Download the detailed program in PDF: PhD School Program
PhD SCHOOL PROGRAM – SIE 2023
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Monday, September 4, 2023 |
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Time |
Speaker |
Title |
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8.45 – 9.00 |
Prof. Graziella Scandurra Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Messina |
Opening |
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9.00 – 11.00
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Prof. Giuseppe Ferri 1, Prof. Marco Santonico 2,
1)Dipartimento di Ingegneria industriale e dell’informazione e di economia, Università dell’Aquila 2) Facoltà Dipartimentale di Scienze e Tecnologie per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile e One Healt , Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma |
The role of conditioning electronic circuits and systems in sensors and their applications
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Coffee Break |
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11.20 – 13.00 |
Ing. Mario Chiricosta, NXP Semiconductors |
Smart Analog and RF Front-End in modern SoC |
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Lunch |
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14.30 – 15.30 |
Ing. Alessandro Inglese ST |
Wireless microcontrollers for smart cities applications |
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15.30 – 16.30 |
Ing. Francesco Alessi SmartME |
Arancino AI, neurobiological systems, self-aware systems |
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Coffee Break |
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16.45 – 17.45 |
Ing. Pagani Huawey |
The role of high-frequency integrated circuits in the evolution of telecom networks: an industry view. |
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Tuesday, September 5, 2023 |
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9.00 – 10.00 |
Ing. Giovanni Parrino Infineon |
New solutions for electric drivetrains in eCAVs |
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10.00 – 11.00 |
Prof. Domenico Caputo, Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Informazione, Elettronica e Telecomunicazioni, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza” |
Thin film microelectronic technologies as driving key for lab-on-chip system |
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Coffee Break |
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11.20 – 12.20 |
Prof. Alessandro Busacca Dipartimento di Ingegneria, Università degli Studi di Palermo |
Optical devices for bioelectronics |
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12.20 – 13.20 |
Ing. Marcello Mulè Alkeria |
Low-coherence interferometry (LCI): how electronics improved performance and size. |
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Lunch |
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14.30 – 15.50 |
Prof. Valerio Re Dipartimento di Ingegneria e Scienze Applicate, Università degli Studi di Bergamo |
New technologies for the electronic readout of pixel sensor for particle detection |
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Coffee Break |
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16.10 – 17.30 |
Prof. Marco Carminati, Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano |
Current Sensing Analog Design for Healthcare |
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Wednesday, September 6, 2023 |
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9.30-10.30 |
Dott. Michele Dibenedetto Ing. Rocco Ruggiero, Omron |
Flexible Manufacturing, strategic approaches |
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10.30 – 11.15 |
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TEST |
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Brunch |
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12.00: departure to Noto (transfer by bus) |
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Confirmed Lecturers and topics
Prof. Giuseppe Ferri1, Prof. Marco Santonico2
1 Università degli Studi Dell’Aquila
2 Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma
The role of conditioning electronic circuits and systems in sensors and their applications
Sensors detect physical, chemical, or biological quantities that evolve over time. Sensor systems contain one or more sensors and an electronic circuit (named interface or read-out) that converts the input signals from the sensor into output signals suitable for correct reading and quantification of physical, chemical, or biological parameters (or variations thereupon) in an electric/electronic form.
To fully exploit all the great opportunities offered by modern electronic systems, such as the possibility of integrating sensors and electronic circuits in an extremely compact system-on-chip, it is necessary to develop suitable conditioning circuits to detect sensor signals that enjoy the best possible performances. These electronic circuits usually represent the joint point of the external world with the electronics and are the first and most critical stage of a more complex signal processing system. The interface performances (high sensitivity, low-noise operation, wide dynamic range, high-speed performance, low-voltage and/or low power operation, easiness of integration on a chip, simplicity of construction, low-distortion levels, input-output linearity, etc..) also affect the operation and the overall characteristics of the whole sensor system. Consequently, interfaces must be suitably designed and developed, according to the sensor baseline and considering the sensor variation range.
The presentation will show the main electronic techniques for designing efficient high-performance interfaces according to the sensor applications.
Prof. Marco Carminati
Politecnico di Milano
Current Sensing Analog Design for Healthcare.
The fundamentals of sizing the analog front-end and the signal acquisition chain for miniaturized solid-state sensors read in charge and current mode will be reviewed. Different circuit topologies, from basic to advanced ones, will be presented with special focus on CMOS technologies addressing key tradeoffs such as noise (pA) vs. bandwidth (MHz), and capacitance (nF) vs. speed (ns) and stability. Requirements and solutions from different application domains (biosensors, radiation detectors) will be discussed from a unified point of view, in particular focusing on healthcare applications. Futhermore, charge-mode analog design can also provide an alternative route to digital accelerators for area-and energy-efficient machine learning embedded in the sensors.
Prof. Valerio Re
Università degli Studi di Bergamo
New technologies for the electronic readout of pixel sensor for particle detection
This lecture will discuss the general concepts and the technologies that are used for the design of front-end electronics for silicon microstrip and pixel sensors in modern high energy physics experiments. Finely segmented sensors have to be read out by mixed-signal front-end integrated circuits fabricated in aggressively scaled processes. These systems have to comply with severe requirements in terms of low noise, high speed, low power and high radiation tolerance. The lecture will present the main problems that have to be tackled in the development of a microelectronic front-end chip, from the design of analog blocks to the digital architecture for the chip readout. The discussion will then focus on future prospects for the design of readout electronics with advanced CMOS nodes and with 3D integration technologies.
Ing. Maurizio Pagani
Huawei Milan IC Lab Director
The role of high-frequency integrated circuits in the evolution of telecom networks: an industry view.
The development of high-frequency integrated circuits has been crucial in the evolution of telecommunication networks and has led to significant improvements in the capacity and speed of data communication links. By operating at increasingly higher frequencies, these electronic components offer the potential to increase the performance, minimize the size and reduce the power requirements of telecommunications network equipment. Moreover the development of millimeter wave microelectronic devices has enabled the development of faster wireless and fiber optic networks, providing the foundation for the next generation of communication technologies, such as 5G networks. With an ever increasing demand for faster and more reliable connectivity, the role of high-frequency electronics in the evolution of telecommunication networks is set to become even more important in the coming years. This presentation focus on the key technology trends and challenges of high-frequency integrated circuit developments from an industry perspective.
Ing. Marcello Mulè
Alkeria
Low-coherence interferometry (LCI): how electronics improved performance and size.
LCI is a fast-spreading optical measurement technique that allows you to inspect a body and provide 3D non-invasive imaging of its outer layers with fine resolution (up to 10 um).
Its typical light source is a low coherence SLED emitting in the near-IR. It allows a safe and deep penetration (some millimeters) even into living tissues – that’s why it is often mentioned when talking about in-vivo medical examinations (primarily skin and eyes), but it is also a cutting-edge technology in industrial and civil application of non-destructive measurement (e.g. evaluation of paint condition in art and inspection of coating in industry).
Whatever the field, the keys to making a new technology more and more pervasive are affordable costs and ease of use. This also applies to LCI.
We will highlight the main components of a commercial LCI medical instrument, showing how electronics have made it possible to optimize costs, reduce dimensions, remove critical limitations, improve speed, reliability, usability and robustness. It has now become the go-to instrument and the new gold standard in its market.
Based on a true story.
Ing. Alessandro Inglese
STMicroelectronics
Wireless microcontrollers for smart cities applications.
Cities are playing a dominant role in world’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas production. To reduce carbon emissions in cities, a radical change is needed: cities must use wireless technology to operate smarter, produce and distribute energy more efficiently and prioritize renewable energy.
Thanks to smart city solutions, the public resources of the municipality can be monitored in real time and controlled remotely, residents can actively monitor their energy consumption and the responsible authorities can control when and where energy is needed.
In a Smart City, devices are connected to each other and to the cloud to enable new and advanced services that reduce the load on the infrastructures that normally derives from an increasing urban population, improving the quality of life and rationalizing the use of resources.
Converting a city into a smart city requires an IoT network comprising MCUs, sensors, communication ICs, and power ICs and software. Integrated technology platforms easily accessible through various devices provide access, transparency, speed and participation in public services. In principle, the smart city provides access to a range of networks offering applications that will provide outstanding efficiency for services.
STMicroelectronics has extensive experience in smart cities thanks to its broad product portfolio ST is already enabling smart cities to improve the quality of life for residents by enabling them to do more things more efficiently while using less energy. ST has many key ingredients for Smart Cities: technologies, products, a broad ecosystem of development resources, expertise in digital security technologies, and high-volume manufacturing capabilities.
Ing. Giovanni Parrino
Infineon Technologies Italia S.r.l.
New solutions for electric drivetrains in eCAVs.
The electrification trend is affecting not only the automotive world, but also the logistics, transportation and food industry. The combination of rising emissions and the urgent need to comply with the latest regulations are the main reasons why electrification has become a pressing topic also for manufacturers and users of commercial, construction, and agricultural vehicles (eCAVs) in recent years.
These types of vehicles have to meet special requirements: on top of being reliable, durable and robust, they must also be environmentally friendly and energy-efficient. Innovative and cost-effective solutions are then needed to drive and support the adoption of eCAVs on a global scale.
Electric commercial vehicles can have two propulsion drivetrain choices, Fuel Cell Electric (FCEVs) and Battery electric vehicles (BEVs); the requirements in terms of vehicle size, load to be carried, and distance to be travelled determine the optimal drivetrain for each application. There are several many factors to consider, such as environmental effects, acquisition costs, and operating costs to arrive at a TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), which may vary for each and every use case. Furthermore, local legislation and policy may well change the TCO over time.
The traction inverter is one of the most critical systems in both electric drivetrains: its design and optimization strongly affect the total cost and performance.
In this presentation, we will then provide an overview of the most relevant challenges, technologies and solutions for electric drivetrains in the eCAV world, with a special focus on the traction inverter system.
Ing. Mario Chiricosta, Ing. Tino Copani
NXP
Smart Analog and RF Front-End in modern SoC.
This lecture gives to the audience an overview on smart analog and RF front-end challenges for modern high-demanding systems and how the capabilities of a SoC engine can be used to design smart and efficient solutions keeping state-of-the art performance.
Modern Analog front-end and RF transceivers are extremely demanding in the term of performance, power consumption, and complex requirements under wide range of temperatures. Even if advanced analog and RF design techniques still remain a key-aspect to solve technical challenges, nowadays, design trade-off can be leveraged by the concept of smart AFE, where a SoC digital engine in advanced CMOS technology can improve the overall system performance. Moreover, the required design quality for modern cellular, data communication systems, and automotive applications imposes a rigorous and robust design flow based on deep and exhaustive analog and digital verification.
The two authors walk through all above concepts offering high-level indications on technology, design, layout, tools and verification recommendations. Some conclusions will be offered at the end of the speech.
Dott. Michele Dibenedetto e Ing. Rocco Ruggiero
OMRON
Flexible Manufacturing, strategic approaches.
In the industrial landscape we hear more and more talk of Flexible Manufacturing, a concept that is presented as the revolutionary key to industry 4.0.
Data analysis and information processing are key elements of the fourth industrial revolution which we commonly refer to as industry 4.0. In this innovative panorama, electronics play a key role, as digitization of production processes as well as their automation represent the foundations of Flexible Manufacturing, a concept that is heard more and more often in the industry but which is difficult to understand.
So what does ” Flexible Manufacturing ” mean and what are the advantages it brings to the manufacturing industry?
Prof.Domenico Caputo
Università degli studi di Roma “La Sapienza”
Thin film microelectronic technologies as driving key for lab-on-chip system.
Lab-on-Chip (LoC) technology is gaining great interest due to the many possibilities that it offers in the fields of life sciences, from parallel analysis in genomics to point-of-care devices in medical diagnostics. At the beginning, Lab-on-Chip were basically identified with microfluidic networks that, taking advantage of the reduced spatial dimensions, led to faster reaction kinetics and lower sample and reagents consumption. Recent LoC devices integrate several functional modules, that allow all the functions of a human-scale test laboratory including transferring samples, drawing off a precise volume of a chemical product, reagent mixing, DNA extraction, detection and quantification of biomolecules.
To show how electronics can successfully enable the functionalities of lab-on-chip systems, this talk focuses on the development of an optoelectronic platform, where thin film sensors and actuators are combined on a single glass substrate. It integrates amorphous silicon sensors for optical detection and temperature control, a thin film resistor for providing the required heat and an optical filter for selection of specified wavelength. Results show that coupling this platform to a properly designed microfluidic network, mycotoxin detection and DNA amplification of bacteria and virus are achieved in portable systems.
Ing. Francesco Alessi
SmartME
Arancino AI, neurobiological systems, self-aware systems.
Arancino AI is the software and hardware architecture developed by SmartME that acts as the brain for the implementation of machine learning algorithms. Just like the human brain Arancino AI was developed based on the concept of communication between right and left hemispheres, allowing real-time monitoring and detection of equipment’s anomalies and defects for preventive purposes. Within each application, Arancino AI creates a custom algorithm that provides information that can diagnose the problem and know its severity, enabling real-time intervention and thereby preventing failures that can affect the production process and unnecessary costs in replacing damaged parts.
Among the main applications that will be illustrated during this lecture are Smart City, Preemptive Maintenance, Industry 4.0, Farming 4.0.