Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Contact persons:

 Montserrat Nafria (montse.nafria@uab.es)

Full Professor
Dept. Enginyeria Electrònica

Escola d’Enginyeria.
Carrer de les Sitges, s/n.

Campus de la UAB · 08193 Bellaterra
Barcelona · Spain
T +34 93 581 18 29

Jordi Sune (jordi.sune@uab.es)

UAB presentation

The group of Micro and Nanoelectronic Devices belongs to the Department of Electronic Engineering of the Universitat Autònoma Barcelona (Spain) and has a large and distinguished experience in the field of nanoelectronic devices, both  ultimate CMOS devices (More Moore domain) and also emerging devices that take advantage of materials properties at the nanoscale (Beyond CMOS domain). Its activities cover the device concept, modeling, simulation, characterization and reliability. The group has built the required experimental facilities to carry out this research.

Equipment / Facilities

Processing platform

Modelling platform

Parallel Computing Laboratory.

  • High performance computing (HPC) cluster, with 32 AMD Opteron 248 processors (single core) and 8 Intel Xeon X5650 CPUs (6-core), with a total of 208 Gb of RAM and 1Tb of user storage, networked through dual Gigabit Ethernet and InfiniBand interconnects.
  • VASP 4.6, SIESTA and TRANSIESTA first-principles electronic structure and transport codes
  • Other GPLd software for molecular dynamics simulations.

Characterization platform

Nanoscale electrical characterization Laboratory.

  • Three atomic force microscopes, equipped with the modules for current (CAFM) and contact potential (KPFM) measurements, temperature and environmental control.
  • Prototype of Enhanced-CAFM (ECAFM) with 1pA-1mA current dynamic range, developed by the group.

Device level Electrical Characterization Laboratory.

  • 200mm wafer probe stations electro-statically shielded (equipped with thermo-chuck)
  • Benches for semiconductor device measurement (Semiconductor Parameter Analyzers, LCR‑meters, switching matrix, pulse generator…).
  • Circuit modules for the characterization of highly specific phenomena in electron devices, developed by the group.
Expertise
Main Expertises
Beyond CMOS Neuromorphic Computing
  • Resistive switching devices (ReRAM): characterization and modeling.
Phonon engineering
  • Multiscale (ab initio, molecular dynamics, finite elements) determination of thermal transport coefficients and heat flows.
Small slope switches-NW/TFET/NEMS x
Alternative materials-2D layers
  • Electrical characterization of 2D nanodevices.
  • Development of specialized characterization set-ups.
Novel devices for ultra-low power x
1D x
Quantum Technologies & Very low temperature electronics x
More Moore Logic Nanodevices& circuits
  • Reliability of CMOS devices and integrated circuits.
  • Electrical characterization and Modeling of 2D semiconductor based FETs for digital applications
  • Development of specialized characterization set-ups and smart analysis techniques
  • Modelling of quantum transport and simulation of nanometer scale devices using a multi-scale approach from ab-initio methods (SIESTA, BITLLES) to compact modelling.
  • Modelling and simulation of ultra-small SOI-based MOSFETs in the scaling limit.
  • Development of transistors for low-power switching applications based on ferroelectric materials
Memories
  • Resistive switching devices (ReRAM): characterization and modeling.
Very low power devices x
High temperature electronics x
More than Moore micro-nano-bio Sensors & Systems x
Energy Harvesting x
RF devices & circuits
  • Modelling and simulation of graphene and post-graphene 2D materials based field effect transistors targeting RF applications
Photonics devices x
Power devices x
Flexible electronics
  • Electrical characterization and modeling of inkjet-printed devices, Organic TFTs.
Smart systems& Systems design Smart systems x
Systems design
  • Device compact modeling for Reliability-Aware Design of ICs.
Research interests
Research Interests
Beyond CMOS Neuromorphic Computing
  • ReRAM compact modeling.
  • Neuromorphic computing architectures.
  • Stochastic Resonance in ReRAM
Phonon engineering
  • Beyond-Fourier phenomena at the nanoscale.
  • Heat management in nanodevices.
Small slope switches-NW/TFET/NEMS x
Alternative materials-2D layers
  • Nanoscale (with CAFM) and device level electrical characterization of 2D nanodevices.
  • Resistive switching phenomenon in 2D materials.
  • Graphene-based devices for security applications.
Novel devices for ultra-low power x
1D x
Quantum Technologies & Very low temperature electronics x
More Moore Logic Nanodevices& circuits
  • Characterization of aging mechanisms (RTN, BTI, HCI) in advanced nanoelectronic devices, including process-related variability.
  • Device aging impact on ICs performance.
  • Exploitation of device variability for security applications
Memories
  • ReRAM compact modeling.
  • Resistive switching phenomenon in 2D materials.
  • Stochastic Resonance in RRAM
Very low power devices x
High temperature electronics x
More than Moore micro-nano-bio Sensors & Systems x
Energy Harvesting x
RF devices & circuits
  • Graphene based devices targeting RF applications
Photonics devices x
Power devices x
Flexible electronics
  • Emerging devices for security applications and wearable electronics
Smart systems& Systems design Smart systems x
Systems design
  • Physics-based compact modelling of the CMOS aging mechanisms, for their inclusion in circuit reliability simulators.