News
Professor Kaustav Banerjee’s tunnel-FET biosensor research in Nature Nanotechnology
May 21st, 2012
Professor Kaustav Banerjee and his doctoral student, Deblina Sarkar’s recently proposed quantum mechanical biosensor (Applied Physics Letters, 100, 143108, 2012) has been selected as one of the four research highlights for May 2012 by the prestigious Nature series journal — Nature Nanotechnology. With an impact factor of over 30, Nature Nanotechnology is the #1 ranked journal in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
This recognition from Nature is chronicled in the abstract titled, “Field-Effect Transistors: Biomolecular Turn-ons”, by Michael Segal, one of the editors of Nature Nano. The archived Research Highlights, which are published in the journal every month, symbolize the cutting-edge in scientific progress published in leading international journals (including Nature and Science) covering all areas of science and technology.
Prof. Banerjee’s tunnel-FET biosensor idea has been resonating across the scientific world and has appeared in nearly all the leading science and technology websites including EE Times, R&D Magazine, Science Newsline, etc, as listed under UCSB Technology and Industry Alliances’ case Tech ID #22457.
Nature Nanotechnology (journal)
Jeff and Judy Henley give $50 million to UCSB’s College of Engineering and Institute for Energy Efficiency
May 15th, 2012Oracle Chairman and UCSB Alum Jeff Henley and wife Judy’s gift to support innovative technology research at UCSB
Jeff and Judy Henley have committed $50 million to UCSB for the Institute of Energy Efficiency (IEE) and its highly regarded College of Engineering (CoE). Their investment helps propel the campus toward the $1-billion goal of its Campaign for UC Santa Barbara, a multiyear fund-raising effort. Jeff Henley, a 1966 UCSB grad with distinction, is the campaign’s co-chair.
“The philanthropic leadership of Jeff and Judy Henley is deeply inspiring; we are thrilled by their vision and generosity, and excited about the momentum their gift provides as we launch the next phase of our billion-dollar Campaign for UC Santa Barbara,” said Chancellor Henry T. Yang. “Jeff and Judy have contributed to our university in countless ways over the years, including the Henley Chair in Economics and the beautiful Henley Gate that stands as the iconic entrance to our campus. We are tremendously honored that this transformative $50 million gift for our Institute for Energy Efficiency and our College of Engineering –– the largest gift in the history of our campus –– will become part of the Henleys’ living legacy at UC Santa Barbara.”
Of the Henleys’ total pledge, $30 million will go toward Henley Hall –– the future base of operations for IEE to be named in honor of this generous gift –– and be invested in faculty recruitment for both the IEE and the CoE. The additional $20 million, in the form of an estate commitment, will support priorities of the College of Engineering.
ECE has close ties to both the College of Engineering and the Institute of Energy Efficiency leadership — CoE’s Dean, Rod Alferness and IEE’s Director, John Bowers and Executive Director, David Auston are all ECE faculty members.
ECE 188A/B group project BrightBlu wins People’s Choice Award at the finals of the UCSB Technology Management Program’s New Venture Competition
May 11th, 2012
A project from the Senior Electrical Engineering Project course (ECE 188AB) has won the $2500 People’s Choice Award and took the second place $2500 award in the “Tech Push” track at the finals of the UCSB Technology Program’s New Venture Competition (NVC). The NVC competition provides a hands-on opportunity for campus innovators to learn about successful venture creation.
Congratulations to Electrical Engineering Capstone Design instructor Ilan Ben-Yaacov and BrightBlu team members Siddhant Bhargava, Benjamin Chang, and Taylor Umphreys and BrightBlu, a project developed to revolutionize home automation, that participated in the finals of The 13th Annual UC Santa Barbara New Venture Competition on Monday, May 9th at Corwin Pavilion.
The BrightBlu project members will also participate in the UCSB Senior Capstone Project Presentation Day on Thursday, June 7th.
BrightBlu Project Description
The project was developed to revolutionize home automation. BrightBlu’s Bluetooth enabled plugs, power strips, and light switches turn your home into a customizable automation network controlled with your smartphone. All BrightBlu products are DIY plug and play devices that cost a fraction of the price compared to current home automation options. The self-learning algorithm adapts to the daily habits of the user and turns off unused appliances to immediately provide big cost and energy savings. The open-source platform encourages software developers to create an infinite array of applications for the hardware. No other home automation system offers the incredible range of possibilities that Brightblu does.
New Venture Competition (NVC)
The 13th Annual UC Santa Barbara New Venture Competition provides a hands-on opportunity for campus innovators to learn about successful venture creation. The program offers participants a portal to a large network of established business contacts and an opportunity to compete for more than $75,000 in prizes and seed capital to launch their venture.
Working in multi-disciplinary teams under the guidance of many experienced advisors and mentors, participants learn about key elements of successful and sustainable businesses
The semi-final “Venture Fair” and Finals competition have become integral events in the local entrepreneurial business community, and winners of the NVC have a continuous legacy of launching successful new ventures as a result of their hard work and the quality advice provided by the TMP mentoring network.
Senior Electrical Engineering Project (ECE 188A/B)
Student groups design a significant project based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier coursework and integrate their technical knowledge through a practical design experience. The project is evaluated through written reports, oral presentations, and demonstrations of performance.
UCSB TMP New Venture Competition
Nature Nanotechnology review article draws attention to Professor Kaustav Banerjee’s research on NEMS
May 10th, 2012
Professor Kaustav Banerjee and his former doctoral student, Hamed Dadgour’s research on nano-electromechanical switches (NEMS), has been highlighted in a major review article published in the prestigious Nature series journal Nature Nanotechnology. With an impact factor of over 30, Nature Nanotechnology is the #1 ranked journal in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
The article titled, “Nanoelectromechanical Contact Switches”, by Owen Y. Loh and Horacio D. Espinosa, 7, 283–295 (2012), doi:10.1038/nnano.2012.40, highlights some of the pioneering works on NEMS- and hybrid NEMS-CMOS based ultra energy-efficient circuits and systems carried out by Dr. Dadgour and Prof. Banerjee.
Their research was motivated by one of the most critical challenges in modern electronics — reduction of leakage power in nanoscale integrated circuits, and delved into innovative techniques including exploration of steep subthreshold-slope NEMS based devices and circuits. Their work in this domain is chronicled in several articles published at top international venues in electron devices and reliability physics — IEDM (2008) & IRPS (2011); electronic design and design automation — DAC (2007 & 2010) & ISLPED (2010); as well as a key article in Computers & Digital Techniques 3, 593–608 (2009). Dr. Dadgour’s outstanding research earned him a PhD degree in September 2010.
A comprehensive book chapter by Dadgour and Banerjee on the prospects of NEMS for ultra energy-efficient digital ICs features in the upcoming book Microelectronics to Nanoelectronics: Materials, Devices & Manufacturability, Ed: Anupama B. Kaul, CRC Press, ISBN 9781466509542.
Nature Nanotechnology (journal)
Prof. Luke Theogarajan and group members receive a 2011 Best Paper award from IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology
April 27th, 2012Editors award Theogarajan and group members in the Advanced Packaging category for “Wafer Scale Integration of CMOS Chips for Biomedical Applications via Self-Aligned Masking.”
Theogarajan, Ashfaque Uddin, Kaveh Milaninia, and Chin-Hsuan Chen’s award will be presented at the 62nd Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC, 29 May – 1 June 2012, San Diego, California). The recognition will take place during the CPMT luncheon on Thursday, 31 May, 12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.
The Award includes a $1000 cash prize (to be shared by the authors) and a certificate for each author.
“Wafer Scale Integration of CMOS Chips for Biomedical Applications via Self-Aligned Masking” by Ashfaque Uddin, Kaveh Milaninia, Chin-Hsuan Chen, and Luke Theogarajan, VOL.1, NO. 12, December 2011
ECE 188A/B group project BrightBlu makes finals of the UCSB Technology Management Program’s New Venture Competition
April 20th, 2012
A project from the Senior Electrical Engineering Project course (ECE 188AB) is one of six proposals that has reached the finals of the UCSB Technology Program’s New Venture Competition (NVC). The NVC competition provides a hands-on opportunity for campus innovators to learn about successful venture creation.
Team members Siddhant Bhargava, Benjamin Chang, and Taylor Umphreys and their project BrightBlu, a project developed to revolutionize home automation, will participate in the finals of The 13th Annual UC Santa Barbara New Venture Competition on Monday, May 9th at Corwin Pavilion at 3:00pm.
The BrightBlu project members will also participate in the UCSB Senior Capstone Project Presentation Day on Thursday, June 7th.
BrightBlu Project Description
The project was developed to revolutionize home automation. BrightBlu’s Bluetooth enabled plugs, power strips, and light switches turn your home into a customizable automation network controlled with your smartphone. All BrightBlu products are DIY plug and play devices that cost a fraction of the price compared to current home automation options. The self-learning algorithm adapts to the daily habits of the user and turns off unused appliances to immediately provide big cost and energy savings. The open-source platform encourages software developers to create an infinite array of applications for the hardware. No other home automation system offers the incredible range of possibilities that Brightblu does.
New Venture Competition (NVC)
The 13th Annual UC Santa Barbara New Venture Competition provides a hands-on opportunity for campus innovators to learn about successful venture creation. The program offers participants a portal to a large network of established business contacts and an opportunity to compete for more than $75,000 in prizes and seed capital to launch their venture.
Working in multi-disciplinary teams under the guidance of many experienced advisors and mentors, participants learn about key elements of successful and sustainable businesses
The semi-final “Venture Fair” and Finals competition have become integral events in the local entrepreneurial business community, and winners of the NVC have a continuous legacy of launching successful new ventures as a result of their hard work and the quality advice provided by the TMP mentoring network.
Senior Electrical Engineering Project (ECE 188A/B)
Student groups design a significant project based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier coursework and integrate their technical knowledge through a practical design experience. The project is evaluated through written reports, oral presentations, and demonstrations of performance.
Professor Kaustav Banerjee designs an ultra-sensitive electrical biosensor that unlocks the potential for instant diagnostic devices
April 17th, 2012Researchers at UC Santa Barbara propose Tunnel-FET based biosensor 10,000 times more sensitive than conventional FET-based sensors
A new quantum mechanical-based biosensor designed by a team at University of California, Santa Barbara offers tremendous potential for detecting biomolecules at ultra-low concentrations, from instant point-of-care disease diagnostics, to detection of trace substances for forensics and security.
Kaustav Banerjee, director of the Nanoelectronics Research Lab and professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UCSB, and PhD student Deblina Sarkar have proposed a methodology for beating the fundamental limits of a conventional Field-Effect-Transistor (FET) by designing a Tunnel-FET (T-FET) sensor that is faster and four orders of magnitude more sensitive. The details of their study appeared in the April 2, 2012 issue of the journal Applied Physics Letters.
Center for Bio-Image Informatics (CBI) works with the Marine Science Institute at UCSB, NOAA and Greenpeace to analyze a large collection of underwater videos
April 3rd, 2012CBI’s research featured in Washington Post article “Fishery managers could call for a review of massive underwater canyons”
In 2007 a research team surveyed the sea floor for three weeks using DeepWorker submersibles — small, single-pilot submarines equipped with high-definition video cameras, indexing lasers and robotic sampling arms — along with a remotely operated vehicle. In addition to identifying 15 species of coral and collecting 20 sponge species, scientists documented 13 instances of fishing impacts at depths ranging from 328 feet to 3,280 feet below sea level.
Researchers from UC-Santa Barbara’s Center for Bio-Image Informatics (CBI) later used software and algorithms to analyze 884GB of high definition video covering more than 23 hours acquired during the 16 deep water dives. Video analysis software then automatically selected video frames to estimate the sea surface area and capture the distribution of various visible objects. The Digital Notebook software, developed by Dmitry Fedorov at the Center, was then used to detect and classify the object/event types in the image frames into 56 different classes (for example, fish, corals, fishing disturbance, etc.).
The data was later used to extract co-occurrence statistics published in the PLoS ONE journal research article, “Structure-Forming Corals and Sponges and Their Use as Fish Habitat in Bering Sea Submarine Canyons”. The complete dataset of annotated frames is freely available through CBI’s Bisque image database.
DenBaars and Nakamura research on LED droop recognized as finalist for 2012 Compound Semiconductor Industry Awards
March 29th, 2012CS Industry Awards recognize UCSB team for their groundbreaking research on quantum wells to reduce LED droop
Professors Steven DenBaars and Shuji Nakamura of the ECE and Materials departments and the Solid State Lighting & Energy Center were honored earlier this year as finalists in the R&D area by the 2012 Compound Semiconductor (CS) Industry Awards.
The CS Industry Awards were created by Compound Semiconductor to recognize the vital individuals and companies that enable a company to achieve success in a competitive global market.
Winners of the 2012 CS Industry Awards were announced on Monday 12 March at CS Europe (Frankfurt, Germany), one of the world’s leading compound semiconductors conferences.
Professor John Bowers receives the 2012 John Tyndall Award from The Optical Society (OSA) and IEEE Photonics Society
March 8th, 2012University of California, Santa Barbara professor receives award for contributions to optical communications industry
The Optical Society (OSA) and the IEEE Photonics Society have announced that John Bowers, Fred Kavil Chair in Nanotechnology and Director of the Institute for Energy Efficiency at the University of California, Santa Barbara, as the recipient of the 2012 John Tyndall Award. Bowers is being recognized for “pioneering research in hybrid-silicon lasers and photonic integrated circuits.”
The Tyndall Award recognizes Bowers’ international leadership in the development of novel optoelectronic devices, including groundbreaking research in hybrid-silicon lasers and photonic integrated circuits. This hybrid technology lowers the costs of photonic sub-systems and allows optical communication technology to be applied to areas where it has been prohibitively expensive.
Bowers was presented the award during the plenary session of the 2012 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (OFC/NFOEC) taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center March 4 – 8.
Recent News
Professor Kaustav Banerjee’s tunnel-FET biosensor in research Highlights of Nature Nanotechnology
Award News
Professor Steve DenBaars elected to the National Academy of Engineering
Professor Emeritus, Petar Kokotovic, elected as a Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences