Phase II IUCRC at University of Central Florida: Center for Multi-functional Integrated System Technology

The University Of Central Florida Board Of Trustees, Orlando FL

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impacts of the Multi-functional Integrated System Technology (MIST) Center are to develop the hardware technologies necessary to propel the next generation of smart systems. The center focuses on translating novel materials, devices, and manufacturing processes into multi-functional integrated systems via collaboration with industry and government partners. The MIST Center targets pre-competitive research along the entire stack from emerging materials, electron, magnetic, acoustic, photonic, microelectromechanical, and photonic devices, to circuits and architecture needed to tackle complex challenges in developing the hardware underlying the Internet of Things (IoT). The Center trains the next generation of graduate students versed in the center's precompetitive research, actively recruits and mentors participants from underrepresented groups in science and engineering, and fosters public-private research networks across multiple academic, industrial, and government organizations. The UCF Site will expand a STEM- and diversity-focused undergraduate effort including Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET), as well as interacting with industry partners through graduate student internships. The proposed MIST Industry University Cooperative Research Center will be structured around five technology thrust areas – sensing, computing, wireless, power, and integration – to drive system technologies such as wearable devices, IoT systems, sensor networks, and "mist computing", bringing computing hardware to the sensor node and is the logical progression of the IoT ecosystem beyond cloud computing and fog computing. The MIST center will address specific technology challenges such as high-speed communication; self-powered, edge-of-the-node sensing; energy-efficient, low-power computing; advanced networking; and system integration. The UCF Site will focus on interdisciplinary research including power semiconductor devices, 3D through glass via (TGV) reliability, 5G radio frequency circuits, silicon nanowire and chemical sensors, and optical devices for LiDAR. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.