• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.175-183
• /
• 2014

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of real-time sound localization based on $0.13{\mu}m$ CMOS process. Time delay of arrival (TDOA) estimation was used to obtain the direction of the sound signal. The sound localization chip consists of four modules: data buffering, short-term energy calculation, cross correlation, and azimuth calculation. Our chip achieved real-time processing speed with full range ($360^{\circ}$) using three microphones. Additionally, we developed a dedicated sound localization circuit (DSLC) system for measuring the accuracy of the sound localization chip. The DSLC system revealed that our chip gave reasonably accurate results in an experiment that was carried out in a noisy and reverberant environment. In addition, the performance of our chip was compared with those of other chip designs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems Conference
• /
• 1993.06a
• /
• pp.975-976
• /
• 1993

This talk presents the overview of the author's research and development activities on fuzzy inference hardware. We involved it with two distinct approaches. The first approach is to use application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) technology. The fuzzy inference method is directly implemented in silicon. The second approach, which is in its preliminary stage, is to use more conventional microprocessor architecture. Here, we use a quantitative technique used by designer of reduced instruction set computer (RISC) to modify an architecture of a microprocessor. In the ASIC approach, we implemented the most widely used fuzzy inference mechanism directly on silicon. The mechanism is beaded on a max-min compositional rule of inference, and Mandami's method of fuzzy implication. The two VLSI fuzzy inference chips are designed, fabricated, and fully tested. Both used a full-custom CMOS technology. The second and more claborate chip was designed at the University of North Carolina(U C) in cooperation with MCNC. Both VLSI chips had muliple datapaths for rule digital fuzzy inference chips had multiple datapaths for rule evaluation, and they executed multiple fuzzy if-then rules in parallel. The AT & T chip is the first digital fuzzy inference chip in the world. It ran with a 20 MHz clock cycle and achieved an approximately 80.000 Fuzzy Logical inferences Per Second (FLIPS). It stored and executed 16 fuzzy if-then rules. Since it was designed as a proof of concept prototype chip, it had minimal amount of peripheral logic for system integration. UNC/MCNC chip consists of 688,131 transistors of which 476,160 are used for RAM memory. It ran with a 10 MHz clock cycle. The chip has a 3-staged pipeline and initiates a computation of new inference every 64 cycle. This chip achieved an approximately 160,000 FLIPS. The new architecture have the following important improvements from the AT & T chip: Programmable rule set memory (RAM). On-chip fuzzification operation by a table lookup method. On-chip defuzzification operation by a centroid method. Reconfigurable architecture for processing two rule formats. RAM/datapath redundancy for higher yield It can store and execute 51 if-then rule of the following format: IF A and B and C and D Then Do E, and Then Do F. With this format, the chip takes four inputs and produces two outputs. By software reconfiguration, it can store and execute 102 if-then rules of the following simpler format using the same datapath: IF A and B Then Do E. With this format the chip takes two inputs and produces one outputs. We have built two VME-bus board systems based on this chip for Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The board is now installed in a robot at ORNL. Researchers uses this board for experiment in autonomous robot navigation. The Fuzzy Logic system board places the Fuzzy chip into a VMEbus environment. High level C language functions hide the operational details of the board from the applications programme . The programmer treats rule memories and fuzzification function memories as local structures passed as parameters to the C functions. ASIC fuzzy inference hardware is extremely fast, but they are limited in generality. Many aspects of the design are limited or fixed. We have proposed to designing a are limited or fixed. We have proposed to designing a fuzzy information processor as an application specific processor using a quantitative approach. The quantitative approach was developed by RISC designers. In effect, we are interested in evaluating the effectiveness of a specialized RISC processor for fuzzy information processing. As the first step, we measured the possible speed-up of a fuzzy inference program based on if-then rules by an introduction of specialized instructions, i.e., min and max instructions. The minimum and maximum operations are heavily used in fuzzy logic applications as fuzzy intersection and union. We performed measurements using a MIPS R3000 as a base micropro essor. The initial result is encouraging. We can achieve as high as a 2.5 increase in inference speed if the R3000 had min and max instructions. Also, they are useful for speeding up other fuzzy operations such as bounded product and bounded sum. The embedded processor's main task is to control some device or process. It usually runs a single or a embedded processer to create an embedded processor for fuzzy control is very effective. Table I shows the measured speed of the inference by a MIPS R3000 microprocessor, a fictitious MIPS R3000 microprocessor with min and max instructions, and a UNC/MCNC ASIC fuzzy inference chip. The software that used on microprocessors is a simulator of the ASIC chip. The first row is the computation time in seconds of 6000 inferences using 51 rules where each fuzzy set is represented by an array of 64 elements. The second row is the time required to perform a single inference. The last row is the fuzzy logical inferences per second (FLIPS) measured for ach device. There is a large gap in run time between the ASIC and software approaches even if we resort to a specialized fuzzy microprocessor. As for design time and cost, these two approaches represent two extremes. An ASIC approach is extremely expensive. It is, therefore, an important research topic to design a specialized computing architecture for fuzzy applications that falls between these two extremes both in run time and design time/cost. TABLEI INFERENCE TIME BY 51 RULES {{{{Time }}{{MIPS R3000 }}{{ASIC }}{{Regular }}{{With min/mix }}{{6000 inference 1 inference FLIPS }}{{125s 20.8ms 48 }}{{49s 8.2ms 122 }}{{0.0038s 6.4㎲ 156,250 }} }}

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.15-20
• /
• 2012

In electronics industry, the coming electronic devices will be expected to be high integration and convergence electronics. And also, it will be expected that the coming electronics will be flexible, bendable and wearable electronics. Therefore, the demands and interests of bonding technology between flexible substrate and chip for mobile electronics, e-paper etc. have been increased because of weight and flexibility of flexible substrate. Considering fine pitch for high density and thermal damage of flexible substrate during bonding process, the micro solder bump technology for high density and low temperature bonding process for reducing thermal damage will be required. In this study, we researched on bonding technology of chip and flexible substrate by using 25um Cu pillar bumps and Sn-Bi solder bumps were formed by electroplating. From the our study, we suggest technology on Cu pillar bump formation, Sn-Bi solder bump formation, and bonding process of chip and flexible substrate for the coming electronics.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.292-301
• /
• 2010

To restore visual sensation of blind patients, we have proposed a fully implantable retinal prosthesis comprising an three dimensionally (3D) stacked retinal chip for transforming optical signal to electrical signal, a flexible cable with stimulus electrode array for stimulating retina cells, and coupling coils for power transmission. The 3D stacked retinal chip is consisted of several LSI chips such as photodetector, signal processing circuit, and stimulus current generator. They are vertically stacked and electrically connected using 3D integration technology. Our retinal prosthesis has a small size and lightweight with high resolution, therefore it could increase the patients` quality of life (QOL). For realizing the fully implantable retinal prosthesis, we developed a retinal prosthesis module comprising a retinal prosthesis chip and a flexible cable with stimulus electrode array for generating optimal stimulus current. In this study, we used a 2D retinal chip as a prototype retinal prosthesis chip. We fabricated the polymide-based flexible cable of $20{\mu}m$ thickness where 16 channels Pt stimulus electrode array was formed in the cable. Pt electrode has an impedance of $9.9k{\Omega}$ at 400Hz frequency. The retinal prosthesis chip was mounted on the flexible cable by an epoxy and electrically connected by Au wire. The retinal prosthesis chip was cappted by a silicone to pretect from corrosive environments in an eyeball. Then, the fabricated retinal prosthesis module was implanted into an eyeball of a rabbit. We successfully recorded electrically evoked potential (EEP) elicited from the rabbit brain by the current stimulation supplied from the implanted retinal prosthesis module. EEP amplitude was increased linearly with illumination intensity and irradiation time of incident light. The retinal prosthesis chip was well functioned after implanting into the eyeball of the rabbit.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.138-146
• /
• 1997

The optimal drill helix angle, point angle, and cutting conditions are recommended in the study so as to maximize the drilling performance by investigating the experimental reaults concerning with the state of chip formation, roundness of machined holes, and geometry of projected burr at hole exit, which are examined under the conditions of various helix angles, drill point angles of twist drill, cutting speeds, and feeds in operional parameters. In the easiness of chip escape, the helical type of chip is producted when a helix angle is 30$^{\circ}$, drill point angle 118$^{\circ}$, 140$^{\circ}$and feed is st between 0.1 and 0.15mm/rev. Roundness of machined hole is improved when the helix angle is 37$^{\circ}$, drill point angle is 118$^{\circ}$, and feed is 0.15mm/rev. The height of projected burr at the button of machined hole increases when the drill point angle and helix angle becomes large.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.72-79
• /
• 2000

A new optimal tool design model which can be minimized the resultant cutting forces under the constrains of variables was developed. The resultant cutting forces are used as the objective function and tool angles are used as the variables. Cutting experiments of tool wear and chip length using the new and conventional tools wee carried out. Tool life of optimized cutter are more increased than those of conventional cutter by 2.29 times and 2.52 times at light and at heavy cutting conditions respectively. Chip length of optimized cutter are more increased than those of conventional cutter It is considered that the decrease of the resultant cutting forces is the cause that an effective rake and shear angles by the shape of optimal cutter.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.191-197
• /
• 2005

When fabricating a vision chip, we should consider the noise problem, such as the fixed pattern noise(FPN) due to the process variation. In this paper, we propose an edge-detection circuit based on biological retina using the offset-free column readout circuit to reduce the FPN occurring in the photo-detector. The offset-free column readout circuit consists of one source follower, one capacitor and five transmission gates. As a result, it is simpler and smaller than a general correlated double sampling(CDS) circuit. A vision chip for edge detection has been designed and fabricated using $0.35\;{\mu}m$ 2-poly 4-metal CMOS technology, and its output characteristics have been investigated.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.67-73
• /
• 2009

Compared to the chip-bonding process utilizing solder bumps, flip chip process using Cu pillar bumps can accomplish fine-pitch interconnection without compromising stand-off height. Cu pillar bump technology is one of the most promising chip-mounting process for RF packages where large gap between a chip and a substrate is required in order to suppress the parasitic capacitance. In this study, Cu pillar bumps and Sn bumps were electroplated on a chip and a substrate, respectively, and were flip-chip bonded together. Contact resistance and chip shear force of the Cu pillar bump joints were measured with variation of the electroplated Sn-bump height. With increasing the Sn-bump height from 5 ${\mu}m$ to 30 ${\mu}m$, the contact resistance was improved from 31.7 $m{\Omega}$ to 13.8 $m{\Omega}$ and the chip shear force increased from 3.8 N to 6.8 N. On the contrary, the aspect ratio of the Cu pillar bump joint decreased from 1.3 to 0.9. Based on the variation behaviors of the contact resistance, the chip shear force, and the aspect ratio, the optimum height of the electroplated Sn bump could be thought as 20 ${\mu}m$.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.2
• /
• pp.330-335
• /
• 2008

In this study, highly miniaturized short-wavelength transmission line employing periodically perforated ground metal (PPGM) structures were developed for application to miniaturized on-chip passive component on Si RFIC. The transmission line employing PPGM structure showed shorter wavelength and lower characteristic impedance than conventional coplanar-type transmission line. The wavelength of the transmission line employing PPGM structure was 57% of the conventional coplanar-type transmission line on Si Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) substrate. Basic characteristics of the transmission line employing PPGM structure were also investigated in order to evaluate its suitability for application to a development of miniaturized passive on-chip components. According to the results, it was found that the PPGM structure is a promising candidate for application to a development of miniaturized on-chip passive components on Si RFIC.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.103-112
• /
• 2009

Neuron-on-a-Chip technology is based on advanced neuronal culture technique, surface micropatterning, microelectrode array technology, and multi-dimensional data analysis techniques. The combination of these techniques allowed us to design and analyze live biological neural networks in vitro using real neurons. In this review article, two underlying technologies are reviewed: Microelectrode array technology and Neuronal patterning technology. There are new opportunities in the fusion of these technologies to apply them in neurobiology, neuroscience, neural prostheses, and cell-based biosensor areas.