Center for Design of Analog Digital Integrated Circuits (Phase III) (CDADIC)

Advanced research in analog/RF and mixed-signal integrated circuit design.

Center Mission and Rationale

Analog-digital integrated circuits are used in numerous products and the demand for ever smaller, more powerful, and efficient mixed-signal circuits continues to grow, especially at the nanoscale level (below 100 nanometers). Since its inception in 1989, the Center for Design of Analog-Digital Integrated Circuits (CDADIC) has focused on the problems associated with mixed-signal circuitry and systems. Today, the center is one of the few university-led research efforts in the country dedicated to designing chips capable of using this technology and has gained an international reputation in the field.

The center's mission is to advance the state-of-the-art in the design of analog, RF, and mixed-signal integrated circuits and systems through research and education in collaboration with our industry partners.

The center's research goals are to:

• Focus on long-term research necessary to develop and advance future technologies and short-term research relevant to current industry needs.
• Provide international leadership in mixed-signal integrated circuits and systems research.

Research program

Special Activities

Training/Educating Students:

• CDADIC has supported approximately 500 students on over 300 research projects since 1989.
• CDADIC has offered special graduate and undergraduate research fellowships through the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).  In 2008-2009, twenty-four students were supported by this initiative, “Expanding the Domestic Engineering Workforce.” The center anticipates continuing this program in the future.

Facilities and Laboratory

CDADIC universities have laboratories dedicated specifically for research in the fields of microelectronics. All laboratories are equipped with state-of-the art equipment and have all the necessary software and tools to conduct advanced work in integrated circuit design and development. Some of these tools include CAD software for design, layout, simulation, and testing that is supported on PC, Unix and Linux clusters. Other tools/software include Cadence, LabVIEW, Matlab, HSPICE, PSPICE, Spectra, and MEMSCAD and specialized software tools for RF, microwave, and MEMS design and simulation. In addition, students and faculty have access to industry laboratories as well as fabrication tools and processing.