STMicroelectronics

The ARCES-ST Laboratory was established in 2001, following an early agreement between the University of Bologna and STMicroelectronics dated 1998, with the mission to find innovative solutions to complex problems based on advanced electronic technologies, to devise new smart systems to improve the way we live and to foster the application of research results through the cooperation with industrial partners. The long-date collaboration resulted in more than 45 patent applications and numerous scientific publications and led to the conjunct involvement in several European Projects related to research topics. Research activities are carried out in two sites:  Pepoli (Bologna) and Cesena Campus. 

The main goal of current research activities is to emphasize the technology characteristics of ST Bipolar CMOS DMOS (BCD) process and augment the application spectrum of smart power technologies. In particular the activities are related to the design and implementation of:

• low-power analog circuits for increasing the energy efficiency of sensing and actuating nodes for Internet of Things (IoT) in wireless sensor and actuators networks (WSAN)  including the design of nanowatt wake-up radios (fig. 1) and micro-power conversion and management circuits  (fig. 2);
• magnetic sensing devices with high performance analog front-end  (fig. 3);
• circuits for analog-in-memory computing for artificial intelligence (AI) applications based on non-volatile phase-change memories (PCM) (fig. 4);
• TCAD modeling and experimental characterization of galvanic isolation by thick dielectrics  (fig. 5).

Figure 1: Wake-up-radio in ST 90-nm BCD technology

Figure 2: Micro-power conversion and management circuits in ST BCD technology

Figure 3: Broadband current sensing by means of the X-Hall magnetic sensor implemented in BCD8 technology

Figure 4: Analog in-memory computing

Figure 5: Space charge measurements: PEA cell