Microelectronic Circuits, Systems and Devices

MiCS&D Laboratory

From devices and circuits to intelligent, energy-efficient electronic systems.

MiCS&D Lab

MiCS&D is a microelectronics research laboratory at the Department of Industrial Engineering (DIIn), University of Salerno. Our research spans the complete path from semiconductor devices and their characterization and modeling to integrated circuits, embedded systems and intelligent edge hardware.

We develop energy-efficient solutions for ASIC and FPGA systems, In-Memory Computing, Edge AI and Edge Generative AI, smart and in-sensor computing, wide-bandgap semiconductor devices, sensing electronics and safety-critical embedded systems. Our activities combine fundamental research, experimental facilities and long-term collaboration with industrial and research partners.

We welcome collaborations with universities, research centres and companies for joint research, European and national projects, Ph.D. activities and technology development.

R&D activities

From semiconductor devices to complete intelligent electronic systems, our research relies on established expertise in:

ASIC design, FPGA prototyping and embedded systems;
In-Memory Computing and energy-efficient computing architectures;
Edge AI and Edge Generative AI hardware acceleration;
Smart sensors, in-sensor computing and sensing electronics;
Wide-bandgap semiconductor devices, characterization and modeling;
Safety-critical and industrial electronic systems.

Teachings

Our group contributes to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral education in electronics and microelectronics at the University of Salerno, connecting teaching with current research in semiconductor devices, circuits and intelligent hardware.

Our thesis

Undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students take an active role in our R&D activities through thesis projects, internships and doctoral research. International students and visiting researchers are welcome, including through Erasmus+ programmes.

Interested in a thesis, internship, Ph.D. activity or research collaboration? Contact us to discuss available topics and opportunities.

Research

Circuits, systems and devices

Edge AI & Generative AI

Design of energy-efficient hardware architectures for AI inference at the edge, including compact neural networks and emerging Edge Generative AI workloads. Activities span model optimization, hardware-aware design, custom arithmetic and memory architectures, and deployment on FPGA, ASIC and embedded platforms.

In-Memory Computing

Research on memory-centric and compute-in-memory architectures aimed at reducing data movement and improving energy efficiency in AI and signal-processing workloads. Activities include circuit and architecture design, custom digital building blocks and hardware prototyping.

Device design and characterization

I-V and C-V measurements as well as optical stimulation through probing station for on-wafer and single die devices. DLTS, admittance spectroscopy and C-T measurements for the characterization. Cryogenic system down to 10K and up to 500K. For power devices 10kV-BV and pulsed 50A. Design of customized and innovative devices.

WBG Mixed-signal ICs

Design, characterization and modeling of analogue and digital integrated circuits developed for 4H-SiC CMOS technology.

Smart Sensors

Ultra-low power design of AI circuits for in-sensors/in-package MEMS sensors. Environmental pressure sensors, tri-axial accelerometers, Time-of-flight, Microphones have been improved with AI accelerators for Keyword spotting, human behavior classification, lenses focusing, and thermal drift auto-compensation. With power requirements in the order of uW, the accelerators are designed to be integrated into the sensor circuitry with negligible impact on the overall power budget.

Electronics for sensing

Nowadays sensors are omnipresent. However, interpreting their electrical output could be challenging for users. Electronics play a fundamental role not only in signal conditioning but also in developing complex and smart systems correlating multiple sensor outputs with other parameters, a task made easier thanks to programmable devices like FPGA and microcontrollers.

Analytical and Numerical Models

Development of analytical and numerical (TCAD, PSPICE and Verilog-A) models to describe both the static and dynamic electrical behavior of electronic devices from sensing to power applications.

Wide-Bandgap Devices

Long-standing expertise in 4H-SiC semiconductor devices, from electrical characterization and modeling to the development of innovative device concepts for power, sensing and harsh-environment applications.

Power Converter design

Design of power converter circuits and PCB from driving to high power side.

Equipment

Microelectronics Lab

Tools and equipments for the testing and characterization of electronics device, circuits and systems

Clean room

Clean Room ISO 5 (class 100) with glove box, spinner, thermal evaporator and profilometer

Wedge-ball-ribbon wire bonder

Cryogenic system

10K-500K closed-cycle cryostat system for electro-opto-thermal measurements

Protoyping of electronic PCB

Power electronic for railway applications

Equipments for devices and circuits characterization

Keithley 2651A, SRS PS365, Ametek SGI1000/5 and SGA1000/5, Boonton 7200, Agilent E4980A N4L PSM3750, Agilent 4155B, Agilent 4194A, LoT MSH150 with UV lamp, Keithley 6487...