The ECAS group was initiated more than 15 years ago in the spirit to combine micro and nanoelectromechanical devices with standard CMOS technologies. the final purpouse was to achieve novel nano and micro-devices with unprecedent capabilities thanks to the monolithical integration with the signal processing circuitry. During these years, the group has been contributing to the field of ultrasensitive mass sensors, RF applications with the development of new oscillators systems based on NEMS devices and signal processing systems as filters, mixers. The exploitation of non-linear properties of the NEMS devices has led to the development of memory devices as well as new high stable oscilators with frequencies in the range of 10’s of MHz. Oscillators based on piezoelectric material, AlN over CMOS, have been also investigated providing systems with oscillation frequency up to 330MHz. Nowadays, the group is developing ultrasound transducers using AlN piezoelectrical material for new imaging systems and biometric identification systems.
During these years several PhD thesis has been done, being former members of the group during the PhD studies:
- María Villarroya Gaudó. Diseño y fabricación de sistemas micro/nanoelectromecánicos integrados monolíticamente para aplicaciones de sensores de masa y sensores biológicos. Julio 2005. Advisor: N.Barniol. Currently Associate profesor at Universidad de Zaragoza.
- Jaume Verd Martorell,. Monolithic CMOS-MEMS resonant beams for Ultrasensitive mass detection. Abril 2008. Advisor: N. Barniol. PREMIO EXTRAORDINARIO DE DOCTORADO. Currenlty Associate Profesor at UIB (Titular de Universidad) leading research in CMOS-MEMS systems
- Joan Lluís López, Application of integrated MEMS-CMOS elements in RF communication systems. Setiembre 2009. Sobresaliente Cum Laude. Advisor: N. Barniol.
- Humberto Campanella, Thin-film bulk acoustic wave resonators-FBAR, 2008, Sobresaliente Cum Laude. 2008. Advisor: A. Uranga and J.Esteve. Currently, Global Foundries (Singapore)
- Joan Giner, Development of microelectromechanical systems for RF signal processing. 2012. Advisor: A.Uranga. PREMIO EXTRAORDINARIO DE DOCTORADO. Post-doc position (2 years) at University California-Irvine with S.Skel. Currently working in the MEMS group at Hitachi-Japan.
- Eloi Marigó, Monolithic packaging and transduction approaches for CMOS-MEMS resonators 2012. Advisor: N. Barniol. Excelent Cum Laude. Currently he is working at Silterra-Malaysia in the MEMS group.
- José Luís Muñoz Gamarra. NEMS/MEMS integration in submicron CMOS technologies. Diciembre 2014. Advisor: N. Barniol. Excelent Cum Laude and International Grade. Post-doc position (2 years) at LETI-Grenoble, working in novel NEMS relays as post-doc.
- Gabriel Vidal Alvarez. Improving the Capabilities of Electrostatically Transduced MEMS Mass Sensors and the Influence of the Parasitic Current on their Nonlinear Response. 2015. Advisor: Francesc Torres. Excelent Cum Laude and International Grade. Post-doc researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg (USA) contracted by professor G. Piazza.
- Guillermo Sobreviela, CMOS-MEMS para aplicaciones de RF: Osciladores. Oct’2016. Advisor: Arantxa Uranga. Excelent Cum Laude. Currently as a post-doc researcher at the University of Cambridge contracted by Professor A.Seshia.
- Oscar Suchil, Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO Finewires for the Conceptual Design of a Mechanical Battery. May’2017. Advisors: F.Torres and G.Abadal.
- Pierre Prache, Modelling, design and integration of new differential architectures for M/NEMS resonant sensors, thesis under a Joint direction between Supelec-Paris France and UAB. Directors: Jerome Juillard and Nuria Barniol. 9 November 2017, CentraleSupelec, building S, 3 rue Joliot Curie, 91190 Gif Sur Yvette, Paris (France). Excelent Cum Laude
- Martín Riverola. Micro and Nano-electromechanical devices in the CMOS back end: Relays and Resonators. UAB, 4 de diciembre 2017. Excelente Cum Laude.