Cutting-edge research at SUSTech: Building the next-generation communication ICs

2020-07-13 General News views：8593

Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) is developing multiple next-generation technology research centers, which can provide breakthrough technology transfers at the Greater Bay Area. It will help the development of Shenzhen into an international, modern and vibrant city, especially becoming the new innovation region of China. This story tells just one research center about next-generation communication research at SUSTech, such as 5G and 6G communications.

 The development of 5G technology has become a new driving force or next generation internet to support high definition video data. Previously, video data that took hours to be downloaded in the 4G era now takes mere seconds in the era of 5G and could be instant in the future 6G age. These days, the speed of data transfer is fundamental to the lives of people, governments, and enterprises.As pointed out by Professor Hao YU, the executive director of the MoE Center:

"The 5G communication is the core area for the new national construction plan, which can provide an IT highway for the future internet economy. We have an urgent need to carry out in-depth research for technological independency, specifically in the communication hardware field."

 In October 2019, the Ministry of Education announced that the School of Microelectronics (SME) at SUSTech had received approval for the establishment of the Future Communication Integrated Circuit (IC) Engineering Research Center of the Ministry of Education (the MoE Center). The Center will focus on building an essential base for the cultivation of innovative talents. The MoE Center will be mainly hosted by SME, and they will collaborate with the Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AAIS).

 The MoE Center will focus on the development of the key integrated circuits suitable for current 5G and next-generation comminutions, such as using CMOS and GaN devices to design power amplifiers, filters, ADCs, PLLs, SerDes etc.   The Center is built to achieve technological breakthroughs with technology transfer to leading Shenzhen enterprises such. It will also train future engineering leaders and talents in the IC fields, focusing on next-generation communication circuits and systems.Professor Hao YU is the executive director of the MoE Center, who is developing the core IC components.  Professor Hongyu YU is in charge of the research of wide-band-gap semiconductor materials and devices. Associate Professor Fei WANG is in charge of sensor. Professor Hao YU added that the interdisciplinary research institutes across campus provide the foundation to promote research in other fields. The MoE Center has actively promoted collaboration with EEE, MSE, and SME has seen considerable progress in many projects. 

Since its establishment a little over six months ago, the team has developed several core components for the next-generation 6G chips. These outcomes have been published in high-impact academic journals in the field as well as close collaboration with local industry partners. SUSTech is at the Center of Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area, which creates a unique set of conditions to collaborate with leading enterprises. From Professor Hao YU's point of view, industry-university research cooperation is central to achieving technological breakthroughs and the transformation of achievements. They also support the cultivation of talent pipelines that can solve practical industrial challenges. It is an essential method for the MoE Center to create value and realize its mission and has formed cooperative partnerships with thirty companies. 

"The MoE Center will integrate its superior resources in the communications industry by combining fundamental research and engineering technology applications. It will open up various links in the communications industry supply chain such as advanced materials, chip design, EDA tools, process manufacturing, and applications." Professor Hao YU pointed out that the evaluation of the MoE Center is centered around whether or not they can meet the needs of industrial development and if they are technologically competitive. 

The process of industry-university research cooperation also extends to the development of young talent. Their direct interaction with leading enterprises helps these future leaders get better acquainted with the market and their companies with which they are collaborating. Professor Hao YU said that the MoE Center aims to foster innovative talents in the process of advancing research with solid professional knowledge and cutting-edge scientific exploration capability. It will contribute to SUSTech's strength to lead the global industrial development of technology for Chinese communication companies.

 In line with SUSTech's internationalization goals, the MoE Center and SME have fully utilized the global outlook by collaborating with top universities around the world. The MoE Center has worked with institutions of higher education in countries and regions including, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, and Canada. 

As communications technology continues to develop, the scientific and technological work of the MoE Center will never stop. Professor Hao YU said, "We hope to build the MoE Center into an engine for technological innovation and talent training for future communications technology. We will provide support for the development of China's future communications needs." 

The Center homepage link: https://moecenter.sme.sustech.edu.cn/