Circuit Simulation Model by IIT Kanpur to help in Developing Futuristic Electronic Devices

 
 


IIT Kanpur now has the distinction of being one of the two institutes from across the world to have its Integrated Circuit design simulation software approved as an industry standard model. After years of hard work and fierce competition, IITK emerged as the only institute, apart from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, to have achieved this distinction.

The design simulation is part of the work by a team lead by Prof. Yogesh Chauhan, Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Kanpur. It was chosen as an industry standard model by Compact Model Coalition (CMC), an R&D group formed by companies in the semiconductor industry to develop and standardize simulation programs for simulating Integrated Circuits. Prof. Chauhan’s team, along with an Australian collaborator, worked on developing their model for close to 5 years and they have been awarded a grant of US$ 70,000 per year for further research and development by CMC.

An industry standard model is a resource shared by companies in a specific sector so as to reduce R&D and design costs and also to have some standardization across different platforms.

The team’s developed model enables companies manufacturing GaN semiconductor devices to test their circuits before actual production. Since the cost of production of GaN devices is extremely high, this software will enable companies to test their circuits before production, hence cutting down on the cost significantly.

GaN semiconductors, when used in power devices, can conserve vast amounts of energy and also increase the efficiency. They also result in faster as well as smaller devices – our laptop chargers have the potential to be condensed to the size of a coin! Although silicon semiconductors are currently the most popular, GaN is slowly being seen as a  strong substitute for it in many applications.

GaN devices are also used in power amplifiers which find applications in space exploration. Prof. Chauhan’s team is currently also working with ISRO and DRDO to develop testing models as well as GaN devices which will be used in India’s space exploration projects.

This software is a crucial step forward in the development of 5G technology as GaN devices are essential for the power amplifiers required in 5G devices. Another team from IIT Kanpur, led by Prof. KV Srivastava, is also currently working on designing antennas essential for 5G technology. This will eventually enable driverless cars, remote surgeries and futuristic appliances to become a reality.

 
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