The research of the group concerns two general aspects in the electronic design and optimization of: 1) advanced sensor systems; 2) systems for the conversion of electrical energy for micro- and nano-powers.
The design is based on both integrated CMOS technologies and advanced discrete component design technologies.
Aspects of research covered. Microelectronic design of analog circuits and sensor interfaces. Ultra low noise microelectronic design. Microelectronic design of very low power interfaces. Energy autonomous electronic systems able to feed on energy extracted from the environment (energy harvesting) from vibrational, thermal and radiofrequency sources. Sensors for the environment, agriculture, the production chain and the "automotive". Biosensors for biomedical applications based on nanotechnologies. Piezoelectric sensors and actuators. Multiphysics modeling. Predictive sensor models (machine learning) implemented in "embedded" systems.
Examples of systems developed at the state of the art:
- Biosensors based on impedance spectroscopy and nanotechnologies;
- Very low power (up to 1 µW) and very low source voltage (up to 10 mV) integrated circuits for “energy harvesting”;
- Wide band Hall effect magnetic sensors (> 1 MHz);
- Spectroscopic sensors with "embedded" predictive models for Civil Construction, Precision Agriculture and Biomedics
- Energy autonomous sensor nodes based on EPC GEN2 RFID protocols powered at 10-20m or on sub-GHz radio
- Electronic interfaces for energy harvesting from vibrations using piezoelectric transducers
ERC Fields
- PE7_2 - Electrical and electronic engineering: semiconductors, components, systems
- PE7_5 - Micro- and nanoelectronics, optoelectronics
- PE8_6 - Energy systems (production, distribution, application)
- PE6_11 - Machine learning, statistical data processing and applications using signal processing (e.g. speech, image, video
Scientific coordinators: Prof. Marco Tartagni and Prof. Aldo Romani