Combining Large-area Electronics with High-performance Computation for Scalable Ambient Intelligence

智力上的优点。这项研究的目的是研究高性能硅集成电路如何与大面积电子技术协同工作，以增加电子系统可以提供的功能范围。集成电路在我们环境中的扩散意味着电子产品有可能获得大量对我们非常重要的信号。这也意味着电子产品必须不显眼地存在于这个空间中。这就需要系统（1）能够通过许多传感通道进行大规模物理接口，（2）能够通过嵌入式能量收集设备为自己供电，所有这些都具有兼容的外形。大面积电子学基于薄膜的低温处理。这使得不同的材料能够被集成以形成广泛的换能器。它还使得能够使用塑料基板，其可以是共形的并且物理上较大。虽然晶体管也是可能的，但它们的性能和能效比高性能硅集成电路低几个数量级。为了实现广泛的物理接口，同时保持高性能的信号采集和计算能力，这两种技术必须结合起来。然而，这种方法带来了巨大的可扩展性挑战。本研究调查了利用两个技术领域的设备来实现跨技术边界交换数据和功率信号的高度可扩展和高效的方法的方法和架构。 更广泛的影响。电子产品在广泛的应用中显示出巨大的价值。这项研究为电子设备与大规模物理系统的接口奠定了基础。这可能会导致转型系统的应用，如高分辨率传感皮肤监测结构健康，交互式表面的视觉计算等，除了重要的社会影响，这些应用程序，由于其规模，可能成为电子行业的关键驱动力。这项研究开发了具体的设计方法，将使定向技术努力与增加的应用范围相结合，有助于集中行业的努力。这项研究将吸引新一代的工程师，特别是来自代表性不足的群体，通过开发系统设计的系统原则，从设备到应用程序。在推广活动和大学教育中，电子系统可能的新形式将有助于说明工程学有可能影响的各种应用。

Intellectual merit. The objective of this research is to investigate how high-performance silicon integrated circuits can work synergistically with a technology known as large-area electronics to increase the scope of functionality that electronic systems can provide. The proliferation of integrated circuits into our environments means that electronics has the potential to acquire a large number of signals that can be of high importance to us. It also means that electronics must exist unobtrusively in this space. This raises the need for systems that are (1) capable of large-scale physical interfacing through many sensing channels and (2) able to power themselves through embedded energy-harvesting devices, all in a compliant form factor. Large-area electronics is based on low-temperature processing of thin films. This enables diverse materials to be integrated to form a broad range of transducers. It also enables the use of plastic substrates, which can be conformal and physically large. Although transistors are also possible, these have orders of magnitude lower performance and energy efficiency than high-performance silicon integrated circuits. To enable extensive physical interfaces while also retaining high-performance signal-acquisition and computation capabilities, the two technologies must be combined. Such an approach, however, poses substantial scalability challenges. This study investigates methodologies and architectures that leverage devices from both technology domains to achieve highly-scalable and efficient means of exchanging data and power signals across the technology boundaries. Broader impacts. Electronics has demonstrated tremendous value in a wide range of applications. This research lays the ground work for electronics to interface with physical systems on a very large scale. This could lead to transformational systems for applications such as high-resolution sensing skins for monitoring structural health, interactive surfaces for visual computing, etc. In addition to important societal implications, such applications, due to their scale, could become a key driver for the electronics industry. This research develops specific design methodologies that will enable directed technical efforts in conjunction with the increased application scope, helping to focus industry efforts. This research will engage a new generation of engineers, particularly from underrepresented groups, by developing systematic principles for system design, from devices to applications. Both in outreach activities and in university education, the new forms possible for electronic systems will serve to illustrate the diverse applications that engineering has the potential to impact.