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SHADE

Project Description

Analog-to-digital conversion is the process by which a signal derived from the analog world is translated into digital information that can be processed by digital computers. This critical translation is accomplished by an on-chip analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The main concerns of ADC designers are the resolution, conversion speed, and power consumption. However, in some applications such as image sensors, an additional essential constraint is the compactness of ADC because the size of the ADC must be equal or lower than the pixel size.  In traditional researches, ADC design downscaling revolves around circuital and architectural solutions. Conversely, in Spin Hall-Based Analog to Digital Encoder (SHADE) project, we intend to apply device-level solutions as a new avenue for next-generation ADC and sensor integration. In SHADE, we will push the state-of-the-art technology towards the hybrid structure of Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology and spintronic devices enabling analog circuits with higher speed, lower power, and significantly smaller area.