6G communications in the 300 GHz band have been extensively explored since the beginning of the 21st century. Sub-THz and THz communication technologies enable very high data rates required to support the explosive growth in data transfer and applications such as driverless cars, autonomous tactical networking with ground and aerial vehicles, and cloud storage applications. The available bandwidth at sub-THz frequencies is orders of magnitude larger compared to conventional microwave frequencies, making them uniquely suited for wireless communications. Sub-THz sources can produce tight beam width, and low-power directional networking can be achieved. The next-generation Wi-Fi in the 200 to 300 GHz band could be implemented using deep submicron Si TeraFETs and compound semiconductor, graphene, and diamond devices. Sub-THz electronic technology is the key to a dramatic reduction of the cost of the THz communication technology deployment. This technology is using a new approach called plasma wave electronics that has the potential to become a dominant THz electronics technology. Sub-THz and THz communication technologies are also synergistic with THz sensing, which enables the detection of biological and chemical hazardous agents, cancer detection, detection of mines and explosives, providing security in buildings, airports, and other public spaces, and applications in radioastronomy and space research.

With the growing emergence of flexible/wearable electronic devices, the requirement for portable and flexible power sources has increased many folds. Recently, energy harvesting techniques have received considerable attention due to the increasing demand to supply sustained electrical power to the electronic devices. Energy harvesting converts waste mechanical energy into useful electrical energy by employing various methods such as electromagnetic, electrostatic, and piezoelectric etc. Alternatively, a novel low-cost device known as Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG) is currently under consideration for the same purpose and uses contact electrification mechanisms to generate electrical output at the interface when two different surfaces of two different materials (such as polymer and metal) are rubbed against each other to develop a charge known as triboelectric charging. TENG is capable of efficiently converting a variety of mechanical energies into electricity with high conversion efficiency and has low cost, great output power and easy production. Flexible TENGs as power sources have been widely researched due to the rapidly expanding demand for flexible/wearable electronic devices, bendable displays, electronic skin etc. The output performance and mechanical stability of the flexible TENGs can be affected by two important factors: suitable materials and optimum topologies. In this presentation, we will demonstrate the fabrication and characterization of Rigid, Flexible and Multilayer TENG devices using different substrates such as ITO (Indium tin oxide) coated glass, FTO (Fluorine tin oxide) coated glass, ITO coated PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) with copper (Cu), Aluminum (Al) with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as a metal layers and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS); Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA); Poly tetra fluoroethylene (PTFE) and Polyimide as a polymer layers. Various layers were deposited using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering and spin-coating techniques. These metal-polymer thin layers are then joined together to fabricate different TENG devices using polyurethane as a spacer. Comparative study of the various TENG devices would be presented along with various physical (FESEM, EDAX and elemental mapping) and electrical characterizations (using linear coil actuator) to calculate open circuit voltage and short circuit currents. The open circuit voltage almost doubles as we switch from rigid to flexible TENG whereas it rises ~3 times in case of multilayered flexible TENG device. The short circuit current also increases by approx. 2.5 times from rigid and flexible TENG. Many issues pertaining to the synthesis and spraying of the gold nano-particles to enhance the surface roughness shall also be discussed.

Since each Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) array typically contains hundreds of thousands of bitcells (e.g. 262 144 for 32 kB), a cell failure probability as low as the ppm must be guaranteed for a given design across various process, voltage and temperature conditions.
The MOS transistors of smallest dimensions and supplied at ultra-low voltage (ULV) are very sensitive to all types of uncertainties. As process variability has remained the major concern for now, we will firstly introduce an insightful and accurate non-Monte Carlo methodology to predict the variability-induced failure probability of subthreshold SRAM bitcells in retention mode. Secondly, the intrinsic noise of the MOS transistors, especially experimentally-reported large-amplitude random telegraph noise (RTN), is likely to induce transient bit flips in bitcells weakened by worsened voltage, temperature and process variability conditions. Because the
noise cannot be studied within a purely static formalism, we propose a rigorous simulation framework, relying on industrial SPICE tools and process design kits (PDK), to observe and explain these bit flips. Finally, extending the reliability perspective, we will conclude this talk by quantitatively discussing the relative impact of process variability, RTN and Gaussian noise in mature industrial CMOS technology such as 28nm FD SOI.

Surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) is based on the measurement of the light-induced change in the surface voltage of a sample and is a widely used technique to study the electronic transitions and optical properties of semiconductor materials and nanostructures. This talk describes the principles and experimental details of SPS and presents results obtained in characterization of laser diodes and solar cells, demonstrating the effectiveness of this technique as a simple and non-destructive tool in the characterization not only of materials but also in semiconductor devices.

Surface photovoltage measurements were performed on fully metallized Al_xGa_1-xAs laser diode structures. The results show that the signatures corresponding to the electronic transitions of, the active region and the barriers can be clearly distinguished in an SPV spectrum, thus demonstrating that it is possible with this technique to obtain the band diagram of the structure without the necessity of etching away the individual layers.

SPS was also used as a control technique in the manufacturing process of Kesterite and c-Silicon solar cells. A study of the effect of different texturing processes and passivation schemes on the SPV of black silicon based solar cells is shown. Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) was used for direct measurement of surface potential maps.

The measurement of academic or industry research productivity lets higher education institutions, academic research centers and industry research centers to detect opportunity areas to face challenges, improve decisions and to make better strategies for research development and innovation. For new researchers, it lets to align an academic career from junior to senior maturity level; for employers, it lets to know how aligned a researcher is to a knowledge area or how easy or not could be to integrate a researcher to a group; for investors, it lets to know if an ambitious project could be reached on time and budged.