Design Automation for Complex Microsystems

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Electronic design automation (EDA) and computer aided design (CAD) tools were the key enabler that allowed the microelectronics industry to flourish into a multi-billion dollar industry world wide, with Canada at the forefront of this revolution. CAD tools have allowed designers to manage the complexity of very large scale designs containing millions of transistors, and to significantly reduce the design cost and time to market. As a result, the microelectronics industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with impact on most consumer products. Recently, advances in lithography have lead to smaller device sizes well into the nanometer range. Packaging technology is advancing at a very fast pace in order to address integration, signal integrity and power distribution issues, and novel technologies and devices based on nanotechnology, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), opto-electronics technologies and bio/chemical sensors are being integrated with microelectronics in order to form Microsystems with wide ranging potential applications ranging from games to biomedical applications. While these technological advances represent an important opportunity for economic growth, and for improving the lives of Canadians, they also result in a significant increase in the complexity of design. The aim of this research program is to develop advanced simulation algorithms and methodologies, and leverage recent advances in processor architecture in order to address the increasing complexity of advanced Microsystems design. Such efficient automated design tools are necessary for the continued growth of this industry.