B - RESEARCHER PROFILES

Precision given to adjust, for the reader the information concerning Nortel from Dr. John Long, University of Toronto

Academic History
BSc (University of Calgary, 1984), MEng.(Carleton University, 1992), PhD (Carleton University, 1995)

 

Employment History

Assistant Professor at University of Toronto: 1996 to the present

Research/Design Engineer, Northern Telecom: 1989

Research/Design Engineer, Bell-Northern Research: 1985-1989

 

Awards

1995 Canadian Semiconductor Design Association Design Award, for TEXPO presentation "A 1.9 GHz Low-Voltage Silicon Bipolar Receiver Front-End for Personal Communications"

1996 Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence in recognition of the relevance and impact of research in the field of integrating radio receiver circuits on silicon chips

1997 NSERC Doctoral Prize to recognize achievements in post-graduate study at the PhD level based on academic merit and contribution to Canadian industry. As stated in a press release from NSERC: "He achieved a major breakthrough in the integration of radio receiver circuits onto integrated circuits, and his findings are expected to have a major impact on cell phone circuit design."

 

Value Derived from CMC Support

"I worked directly with Nortel in my postgraduate work (i.e., I did not work through CMC). As an undergraduate, CMC did not exist at that time! However, I still benefited from CMC's contribution to the Canadian system. I regularly used workstations at Carleton University that were provided by CMC. I also used software and test equipment that Carleton had received from CMC. I think that CMC is an invaluable resource for Canadian universities. It is difficult for me to think of an example of microelectronics research in Canada where CMC has not played a substantial role in support and/or service."

 

To adjust, for the reader the information concerning Nortel from Dr. John Long, University of Toronto didn't exist eider, it was Northern Telecom who voluntary had created is 5 separate division all the beginning identification by Nortel and also CMC was existed has Marconi: Canadien Marconie Compagny which had change to Corporation identified as  (Marconie group) And for more précision CMC Electronics is the new name for a familiar company at Paris this year. Perhaps best known as Canadian Marconi-a name that it held for 75 years until 2000-the company became BAE Systems Canada after the BAe/GEC-Marconi merger last year. In April 2001 the company was acquired by a Canadian investor group, becoming CMC Electronics-a name that echoes its Canadian Marconi roots. Extract of  CMC Capability Brochure CMC_capability_brochure_en.pdf Caisse de Dépôt du Quebec PARIS AIR SHOW 2001 Canada's CMC Electronics -- a New Name Heralds New Technology

 

Research Description

http://www.nserc.ca/news/long.htm

 

Research Status

"Circuits from my doctoral thesis are currently being used by industry in products (e.g., Nortel). My current research projects are all directed at wireless and high-speed data applications, some of which already exist, such as PCS phones, and others are on the horizon, such as wireless computer networks. The use of on-chip inductors and transformers in RF circuits is being taken up by many industrial companies in new products and as an area for research and development. Siemens, for example, is reporting a high efficiency power amplifier for cellular telephones that incorporates on-chip transformers to drastically reduce the power consumption of a portable telephone."

 

Importance of CMC's Services for My Ongoing Research

"My graduate students routinely use software and the fabrication services provided by CMC. It would be extremely difficult for me to carry out my current research program in microelectronics without the support of CMC. In my opinion, CMC is a lifeline to Canadian universities.

 

"In microelectronics, no individual researcher could afford the cost of purchasing access to the wide range of fabrication services currently offered by CMC. The leadership role that Canada has in the design of integrated circuits is a direct consequence of CMC's support."

 

Histoire academique
BSc (Université Laval, 1983), MSc (Université de Sherbrooke (1986), PhD (Université de Sherbrooke, 1990)

 

Histoire d'emploi

• Professeur titulaire, École Polytechnique de Montréal: Depuis 1998

• Professeur agrégré, Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal: 1994-1998

• Professeur associé, Université McGill: 1995

• Professeur adjoint, École Polytechnique de Montréal: 1991-1994

 

Sommaire de la recherche

Information détaillée sur la recherche de neurotechnologies sous la direction du professeur Mohamad Sawan et l'équipe PolySTIM à l'École Polytechnique de Montréal est disponible à:

http://www.polystim.polymtl.ca

 

En bref, ma recherche en microélectronique appliquée dans le domaine biomédical se concentre sur quatre applications principales:

1. Un appareil de contrôle pour la vessie. Nous avons mis au point plusieurs outils de stimulation et de surveillance du milieu biologique. Nous avons effectué plusieurs expérimentations chez les animaux (chiens) en collaboration avec un urologiste de l'Universite McGill. Afin de débuter l'expérimentation chez les humains, le domaine exige des fonds de grande envergure qui ne sont pas facilement disponibles au Canada.
2. Un stimulateur pour aider à la récupération d'une vue partielle chez les non-voyants. Actuellement, nous préparons un prototype pour valider notre système chez les singes en collaboration avec des spécialistes en neurochurergie.

   

3. Un stimulateur pour récupérer le mouvement de main pour individus paralysés. Ce projet se base sur un nouveau modèl decrivant les mouvements réels d'écriture. En se basant sur ce modèl, nous proposons un nouveau système de stimulation implantable.
4. Un dispositif détecteur de volume d'urine dédié aux enfants énurétiques et aux personnes âgées. En ce moment nous préparons l'étape de commercialisation d'une version discrete pour cette application.

   

L'importance des produits et services de la SCM pour la recherche

"Les mécanismes de miniaturisation extrêmement fiables sont indispensables à ma recherche autant que les outils de conception et de tests fournis par la SCM le sont pour effectuer mon travail ainsi que leurs services de fabrication de circuits. Sans ceux-ci, ma recherche serait limitée a un seul petit projet, mais avec l'appui de la SCM je poursuis actuellement quatre projets et je supervise plus de vingt étudiants postuniversitaires.

 

"Puisque mon travail est dédié à deux excellents domaines intéressants, soient la microélectronique et le biomedical, je me trouve devant un grand nombre d'étudiants attirés par mes travaux et provenant de plusieurs programmes à travers le Canada, et particulièrement ceux au Québec. Ce qui a comme résultat que les étudiants n'ont pas de difficultés à obtenir des postes dans l'industrie et ils contribuent au succès de l'industrie microélectronique au Canada et l'avancement de la récupération de fonctions vitale chez l'être humain qui etaient jusqu'a tout recemment considéré comme un miracle."

Academic History

BSc (Brown University, 1985), MSc (Brown University, 1986), PhD (Brown University, 1989)

 

Employment History

Associate Professor at McGill University: 1997 to the present

Since 1993 Director, Photonic Systems Laboratory, McGill University

Assistant Professor, McGill University: 1993-1997

Research Engineer, University of California at Los Angeles: 1989-1993

 

Research Status

Detailed information on the optoelectronics research underway by David Plant and the Photonic Systems Group at McGill University can be found at:

http://www.photonics.ece.mcgill.ca

 

"We are developing an optical interconnnect technology capable of providing massive connectivity between microelectronic chips, a technology which will out-perform current and projected electronic technology. The foundation of the technology is the hybridization of 2-D arrays of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and detectors onto silicon driver and processor electronics. Using 2-D arrays of surface normal Optical Communication Channels (OCCs), we are attempting to demonstrate highly parallel (> 10,000 channels), high date rate (> 1 Gb/s), short distance (millimeters, centimeters) optical interconnects between chips located on boards or in backplanes. In short, we are attempting to revolutionize short distance interconnection with novel lightwave technology in the same way optical fibers revolutionized long distance communications.

 

"Evidence of the merits of optical interconnects has been recognized by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) who in their 1997 roadmap suggest optics as a possible alternative for electronics for high bandwidth, low latency, low power consumption based interconnects. Evidence of the commercialization of short distance optical interconnect technology can be found in the host of commercially available optical interconnect products (Honeywell, Hitachi, Motorolla) which use 1-D array (bars) of transceivers and multi-mode fiber for medium distance (~ 100 meters) interconnection needs such as those found on campuses and in large office buildings.

 

"We are confident that optical interconnect technology will continue to mature and ultimately provide a solution to the short distance interconnection problem. Ideally, we hope some of the ideas we have introduced and some of the technologies we have demonstrated will be part of the commercialization roadmap which implements these technologies."

Motherboard and Chip Module Assembly (chip manufactured through CMC)

Importance of CMC's Products and Services for My Research

"Without CMC my program wouldn't exist. I am presently working on two main projects with industry and one funded by NSERC via a NCE (Canadian Institute for Telecommunications Research) with a total contract value of about $750,000, and one of the fundamental reasons we got those contracts is the fact that we can do silicon design. CMC is the reason we can do silicon design – because of CMC we have the tools, the students who are trained to use the tools, and access to chip fabrication.

 

"Companies don't have the resources needed to do this type of experimental circuit work. In terms of attracting research grants, the leverage I gain from CMC's support is indispensable. Our ability to build and test circuits and therefore build demonstrator prototypes is a major part of what makes us known as a strong experimental group. CMC has a huge role to play in terms of the successful dialog between us and industry."

Academic History

BSc (University of Toronto, 1977), MSc (University of Toronto, 1979), PhD (University of Toronto, 1984), Postdoctoral Studies (Stanford University, 1984-1987)

 

Employment History

Associate Professor at University of Toronto: 1993 to the present

ASIC Design Engineer, ATI Technologies: 1995-1996

Assistant Professor, University of Toronto: 1988-1993

Research Associate, Center for Integrated Systems, Stanford University: 1987

Research Affiliate, Center for Integrated Systems, Stanford University: 1984-1987

 

Research Status

The chip mentioned in CMC's Business Plan for 2000-2005 is a novel implementation of a scheduling algorithm for a packet-cell switching system. The primary objective of the chip is to demonstrate the functionality of the sequencer circuit and ultimately incorporate a number of the chips into a prototype programmable switching system being built by Professor Al Leon-Garcia and Massoud Hashemi, Research Associate, of the Communications Group at the University of Toronto. A patent has been filed for the concepts incorporated in the chip. The chip design is an excellent example of how collaboration across research areas can lead to the realization of interesting and sophisticated microelectronic systems.

 

Professor Paul Chow of the Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto is the primary faculty member involved in the design of this chip. The chip was one of the projects for the Spring 1998 VLSI Systems Design course, and graduate students who formed the design team were Louis Zhang, Brent Beacham, and Bhupinder Parhar. The design required about five months to do. Last June, Louis and Brent gave a presentation on their work which won the 1998 CSDA Design Award at the Symposium on Microelectronics Research & Development in Canada in Ottawa.

 

"What I did with the students was help Professor Leon-Garcia realize a concept that he and one of his graduate students developed, but did not have the capability to build. The chip was a (rather large) course project. Our input has been to build something real out of their concepts (and add some improvements along the way because we know what can actually be done in hardware.

 

"A number of applications are possible, all in the network switching domain for scheduling packets. These can range from use in small routers scheduling a number of channels to large systems such as scheduling packets on a single OC-48 channel.

 

"The intellectual property (VHDL code) that has been used to build this chip can be directly used in commercial products.

 

Research Status

"Without CMC we would only have paper designs that would not have as much credibility as working devices. In this particular case, having working chips means that we will be able to build a working prototype of a new type of network switch. We were just awarded a large NSERC equipment grant to fund the construction of a four-node network. The actual chip itself can also be used in other applications and having working silicon will make commercialization easier."

 

Extract from Integrating Research & Growth, 2000-2005
Copyright Canadian Microelectronics Corporation 1999

Return to Table of Contents for this Module
Return to Main Index