Title Promoter Affiliations Abstract "Nanoscale electro-optical characterization of biological nanofibers and their behaviour in bio-hybrid electronic devices – towards next generation biobased and biodegradable electronics" "Jean MANCA" X-Lab "Due to their exceptional intrinsic electrical properties, electro-active microorganisms such as Cable Bacteria are receiving growing attention from diverse research fields, motivated by a fundamental interest in the underlying electrical transport mechanisms and in the potential future role in emerging domains such as bioelectronics, biodegradable electronics and electronic biological materials (e-biologics). In the long-term these biological electrical materials could open novel avenues to address the growing problem of electronic waste and could play a role in the 'More than Moore' trends in electronics, where new materials and heterogeneous integration technologies are indispensable for future breakthroughs. In this project we focus on the nanoscale electro-optical characterisation of the constituting conductive nanofibers of Cable Bacteria. While in previous research the complete organisms were studied in a macroscopic manner, here the isolated conductive nanofibers will be assessed directly on the nanoscale, using conductive AFM (C-AFM) and ""bio-hybrid"" solid-state test structures, e.g. inorganic transistor substrates with biological nanofibers as transistor channel. This direct assessment of conductive bio-nanofibres is expected to have a significant impact on the fundamental understanding of their intrinsic electrical properties and their behaviour in bio-hybrid electronic applications, of interest towards next generation biobased and biodegradable electronics." "Time and Symbol Diversity: Techniques for implementing Electromagnetic Resilience in Electrical/ Electronic/ Programmable Electronic Systems" "Davy Pissoort" "Waves: Core Research and Engineering (WaveCore)" "This PhD will take up the challenge of the strong reliance of autonomous systems on wireless communication. More specifically, this PhD aims at a virtual, model-based methodology to validate, with a high level of confidence, that the resulting behaviour of an autonomous systems remains as safe as possible, even when subject to severe electromagnetic disturbances. A high level of design confidence for safety means that numerous aspects have to be taken into account, including combinations of diverse electromagnetic disturbances, ageing, wear and contamination. This demands a probabilistic validation and verification (V&V) approach. This PhD will start from a statistical simulation framework to mimic the coupling of diverse, electromagnetic disturbances to a complex system and forecast this coupling in terms of voltages and currents. It will combine this with behavioural models in order to allow to study the resulting functional behaviour of the system under diverse electromagnetic disturbances. Expected Outcome: Validated system behavioural models that take into account the risk and hazards induced electromagnetic disturbances and help to bridge the current gap between the EMC and safety engineering." "Squeezed Quantum prOcessing with Photonics and Electronics (SQOPE)" "Xin Yin" "Department of Information technology, University of Vienna" "Quantum information science is a boiling research field with the potential to transform many areas, including communications, computing, medicine, finance, or even our understanding of how the universe works. Unlike binary digits (bits) used in ordinary computer systems, quantum bits or “qubits” can operate in a superposition of states; thus, the computation based on qubits can solve problems that a traditional computer could never answer. Across all physical systems acting as candidates for qubits in large-scale quantum information processing (trapped atoms/ions, superconducting circuits, spin states), photons distinguish themselves by the absence of decoherence (detrimental to all other implementations). In order to use light as qubits capable of interacting together, the path forward relies on squeezed states and their combination in a large multidimensional quantum object known as a cluster state. Generating, manipulating, and measuring squeezed states by the hundreds is therefore highly desirable. While early demonstrations have been impressive, we set the route towards potential up-scaling to much bigger systems, which can only be enabled by integrating all the key elements onto the same technological platform. We will show that both the light source (squeezer), the optoelectronic detectors based on continuous quantum variables and the reconfigurable photonics circuitry can be put together onto a unique chip from the most mature silicon-based photonics platform to date." "Solid State Dielectric Supercapacitors based on Amorphous SnOx/SnyTi1-yO2/TizAl1-zO1.5+0.5z Artificial Dielectric Lattice for Energy Storage and Power Electronics" "Christophe Detavernier" "Department of Solid State Sciences" "Inferior energy storage density (ESD) of device is now the major factor hindering capacitors to serve as primary sources in renewable energy, electric vehicles and electronics. Recently, dielectric-based solid capacitors are achieving excellent ESD and high working voltage in tiny dimensions, emerging as a powerful competitor to electrochemical supercapacitors in the race to higher capacity, but yet unable to be scaled to larger size for devices. Our previous study has shown that one dimensional electron-based artificial dielectric lattice (EADL) consisting of alternating n-type semiconducting/insulating sublayers is a promising candidate for advanced dielectrics. Moreover, its periodic structure grown by Atomic Layer Deposition makes it perfectly scalable in both area and thickness, raising the possibility of transferring it to high aspect ratio nanostructures. In this project, we propose a totally new type of dielectric supercapacitor building on a novel ternary SnOx/SnyTi1-yO2/TizAl1-zO1.5+0.5z (SST)-EADL and nanoporous metal electrodes. Band engineering and gradient composition are introduced in SST-EADLs to tune interface potential structure and secure high quality interfaces, which jointly suppress strong local field and achieve high breakdown strength. The SST-EADLs supercapacitors combining advanced dielectrics and large electrode area, are expected to show high ESD and working voltage, fast charging rate, long cycling life and excellent environmental adaptability." "Horizon 2020: Highly EFFICIENT and reliable electric drivetrains based on modular, intelligent and highly integrated wide band gap power electronics modules" "Omar Hegazy" "Electronic Component Systems for European Leadership Joint Undertaking, Eindhoven University of Technology, Slovak University of Technology, RWTH Aachen University, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Interuniversitair Micro-Elektronica Centrum, Infineon Technologies AG, Infineon Technologies Austria AG, Fraunhofer Society, Mercedes-Benz (Germany), Technical University of Dortmund, AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik Aktiengesellschaft, AVL List GmbH, Polytechnic University of Turin, Chemnitz University of Technology, Silicon Austria Labs (Austria), University of Pisa, Faculty of Engineering, Electromobility research centre, Electrical Engineering and Power Electronics" "The European “Green Deal” initiative by the EU commission strives for sustainable mobility and efficient use of resources. Within HiEFFICIENT the project partners will work towards these goals and will develop the next generation of wide bandgap semiconductors (WBG) in the area of smart mobility. To boost this development and the market introduction in automotive applications, HiEFFICIENT partners have set ambitious goals to gain higher acceptance and achieve the maximum benefit in using WBG semiconductors: 1.) Reduction in Volume of 40%, by means of integration on all levels (component-, subsystem- and system level), 2.) Increase efficiency beyond 98%, while reducing losses of up to 50%, 3.) Increase reliability of wide band-gap power electronic system to ensure a lifetime improvement of up to 20%. To accomplish the targeted goals, the partners will work on industrial use cases to demonstrate the key achievements and the progress that goes beyond state of the art. This includes, amongst others, modular inverters with different voltage levels (such as 48V, 400V, 800V), flexible on- and multi-use off-board chargers for different voltage levels, multi-purpose DC/DC converters and test systems for power electronics’ lifetime testing. These use cases are led by OEMs and other industrial partners, who define requirements and specifications for the envisioned systems. The project work starts at component-level, developing highly integrated GaN and SiC devices, and is followed by multiobjective design optimization and virtual prototyping approaches. High integration means big challenges in thermal management, which will be addressed by the development of advanced cooling concepts and modularity for the sake of maintainability and flexibility for future applications. Finally, the demonstrators are integrated in relevant environments to proof the concepts and the applicability for electric drivetrains with higher integration, higher efficiency, and higher reliability." "High mobility Printed Networks of 2D Semiconductors for Advanced Electronics (HYPERSONIC)." Bals "Trinity College Dublin (University of Dublin), University of Mons, University of Cambridge, University of Strasbourg, Electron microscopy for materials research (EMAT)" "Future technological innovations in areas such as the Internet of things and wearable electronics require cheap, easily deformable and reasonably performing printed electronic circuitries. However, current state-of-the-art (SoA) printed electronic devices show mobilities of ~10 cm2/Vs, about ×100 lower than traditional Si-electronics. A promising solution to print devices from 2D semiconducting nanosheets gives relatively low mobilities (~0.1 cm2/Vs) due to the rate-limiting nature of charge transfer (CT) across inter-nanosheet junctions. By minimising the junction resistance RJ, the mobility of printed devices could match that of individual nanosheets, i.e., up to 1000 cm2/Vs for phosphorene, competing with Si. HYPERSONIC is a high-risk, high-gain interdisciplinary project exploiting new chemical and physical approaches to minimise RJ in printed nanosheet networks, leading to ultra-cheap printed devices with a performance ×10–100 beyond the SoA. The chemical approach relies on chemical crosslinking of nanosheets with (semi)conducting molecules to boost inter-nanosheet CT. The physical approach involves synthesising high-aspect-ratio nanosheets, leading to low bending rigidity and increased inter-nanosheet interactions, yielding conformal, large-area junctions of >10e4 nm2 to dramatically reduce RJ. Our radical new technology will use a range of n- or p-type nanosheets to achieve printed networks with mobilities of up to 1000 cm2/Vs. A comprehensive electrical characterisation of all nanosheet networks will allow us to not only identify those with ultra-high mobility but also to fully control the relation between basic physics/chemistry and network mobility. We will demonstrate the utility of our technology by using our best-performing networks as complementary field-effect devices in next- generation, integrated, wearable sensor arrays. Printed digital and analog circuits will read and amplify sensor signals, demonstrating a potential commercialisable application." "Digital and Mixed Signal Design for Flexible Electronics" "Kris Myny" "Micro- and Nano Systems (MNS)" "The ambition of this Ph.D. topic is to design and realize several complex chips in the flexible electronics domain, focusing on digital or mixed-signal electronics. The main purpose of this project is to develop a dedicated microprocessor on flex and its accompanied memory block, such as SRAM. The key application is to design flexible chips for next-generation wearable healthcare applications." "Bayesian Active Learning for EMI Near-Field Emission Characterization of High-Speed Electronics" "Tom Dhaene" "Department of Information technology, KU Leuven" "The “Internet-of-Things”, “Industry 5.0”, “Smart Cities”, and “Autonomous Vehicles” will bring huge benefits to society. As these technologies become more widely adopted, we will be surrounded by electronic devices that are wirelessly connected. Our lives will become increasingly dependent on the correct functioning of these very complex electronic devices. But, as these devices shrink, take on more functionalities, and are squeezed closer together, the likelihood that they interfere with each other will increase. This is because every electronic device emits electromagnetic interferences (EMI), while at the same time being potentially vulnerable to EMI coming from other devices. We simply must know more about how these devices are affected by EMI so that we can make the devices resistant to their effects. A technique known as “EMI near-field scanning” has shown tremendous potential for characterizing how EMI affects electronic devices. Unfortunately, the technique suffers from significant limitations - mainly it is just too slow. This research project will overcome these major challenges by devising advanced new methods based on multiple antennas and smart Bayesian AI algorithms that can characterize the effects of EMI much faster than we can today. These methods can make a huge leap forward in making our highly connected world more reliable, more effective, and more responsive to our needs." "Interoperability of the Power Electronics dominated grid by openness" "Dirk Van Hertem" "Electrical Energy Systems and Applications (ELECTA)" "Power electronic (PE) devices are a key enabler for integrating renewable energy into our power system. However, to achieve interoperability of PE devices, barriers are present in technology but also in intellectual property and regulation. To overcome these barriers, Inter-oPEn offers a unique doctoral training program for 10 researchers that integrates multi-sectorial knowledge, gathering electrical engineering and legal researchers. To achieve the common goal of the interoperable PE-dominated power system, openness will be a pivotal factor across the different doctoral projects, tackling fundamental aspects of modern PE-based electrical systems such as control, protection, interoperability, governance, and intellectual property challenges. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the EU Green deal, Inter-oPEn's research program is divided into three complementary parts, (1) Engineering components for swift interoperability, (2) Integration of a resilient and flexible power system, and (3) Enabling interoperability from a legal and regulatory viewpoint. Inter-oPEn's training program puts a particular emphasis on maneuvering the complex and rapidly growing power system/electronics sector with specific intersectoral trainings on, e.g. change management in critical infrastructure, how to give good recommendations, or simplification approaches for an efficient description of complex contexts to other domains. Comprised of 8 academic partners and 13 industrial associated partners, Inter-oPEn offers a broad industry and transmission system operator expertise for doctoral trainings, research, and secondments. Compared to previous EU projects and doctoral training networks on the interoperable PE-dominated grid, Inter-oPEn is innovative by including two fundamental and new aspects: (1) the interplay of technical and legal perspectives is considered, and (2) openness principles are the heart of engineering and legal research, as well as, training." "Bayesian Active Learning for EMI Near-Field Emission Characterization of High-Speed Electronics" "Davy Pissoort" "Waves: Core Research and Engineering (WaveCore), Universiteit Gent" "The “Internet-of-Things”, “Industry 5.0”, “Smart Cities”, and “Autonomous Vehicles” will bring huge benefits to society. As these technologies become more widely adopted, we will be surrounded by electronic devices that are wirelessly connected. Our lives will become increasingly dependent on the correct functioning of these very complex electronic devices. But, as these devices shrink, take on more functionalities, and are squeezed closer together, the likelihood that they interfere with each other will increase. This is because every electronic device emits electromagnetic interferences (EMI), while at the same time being potentially vulnerable to EMI coming from other devices. We simply must know more about how these devices are affected by EMI so that we can make the devices resistant to their effects. A technique known as “EMI near-field scanning” has shown tremendous potential for characterizing how EMI affects electronic devices. Unfortunately, the technique suffers from significant limitations - mainly it is just too slow.This research project will overcome these major challenges by devising advanced new methods based on multiple antennas and smart Bayesian AI algorithms that can characterize the effects of EMI much faster than we can today. These methods can make a huge leap forward in making our highly connected world more reliable, more effective, and more responsive to our needs."