The increasing complexity of integrated mixed-signal systems necessitates the development of novel design automation techniques to satisfy the need for greater performance, reliability, and nanoscale integration. To meet this critical research need, the Rice Automated Nanoscale Design (RAND) Group investigates, develops, and implements innovative modeling and automated design solutions for state of the art system-on-chip applications and emerging nanoscale technologies. For state of the art integrated systems, we create design automation techniques for both on-chip communication, which is a fundamental performance and reliability bottleneck, and analog/RF circuits, which provide an importance interface to the outside world. For emerging nanoscale system-on-chip applications, we are investigating the characterization and design of innovative circuits, systems, and interconnect based on both carbon nanotubes and nanophotonic structures.

The growing demand for mixed-signal system-on-chip applications has spurred the need for innovative techniques to improve performance, reliability, and time-to-market. To successfully realize increasingly complex and integrated mixed-signal systems, our research seeks to develop modeling, optimization, and design techniques for both on-chip communication and analog circuits and systems to increase overall system performance and manufacturing yield in nanoscale system-on-chip technologies. Our research is focused in the following areas:

• Modeling and Design Automation for On-Chip Analog and RF Circuits and Systems
• Interconnect-Centric Network-on-Chip Analysis and Thermally-Aware Design Methodologies
• Modeling and Implementation of Compressive Sensing-Based Analog-to-Information (A2I) Systems

To meet the demand for greater performance, reliability, and nanoscale integration, the realization of nanoscale system-on-chip designs the systems will ultimately require a revolutionary paradigm shift that embraces Nanotechnology. By leveraging automated design techniques, the computational modeling and automated synthesis of nanostructures will enable many future applications. We investigate, model, and design both carbon nanotubes and nanophotonic structures for future high performance on-chip communication and nanoscale integrated circuits as well as innovative nano-architectures. Our research is focused in the following areas:

• Nanophotonic Structures for Integrated Optical Communication and Light Manipulation
• Modeling and Design of Carbon Nanotube Interconnect for Future Nano-Architectures