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Multi-functional Integrated System Technology (MIST) Center

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Center author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Center Overview

The Multi-functional Integrated System Technology (MIST) Center focuses on the hardware technologies necessary to propel the next generation of smart systems, translating novel materials, devices, and manufacturing processes into multifunctional integrated systems. MIST Center faculty members combine complementary expertise in materials science, devices, electronics, magnetics, acoustics, photonics, microfluidics, microelectromechanical systems, and circuits to tackle complex research challenges. The MIST Center also trains the next generation of graduate students, actively recruits and mentors participants from underrepresented groups in science and engineering, and fosters public-private research networks across multiple academic, industrial, and government organizations.

Universities

University of Central Florida
University of Virginia
University of Florida

View Center Website

Center Personnel

Jiann Yuan
Center Staff
+1 407 823 0387
yuanj@mail.ucf.edu

Avik Ghosh
Center Staff
+1 434 924 4270
ag7rq@virginia.edu

Toshikazu Nishida
Center Staff
+1 352 392 3516
nishida@ufl.edu

Research Focus

Research at the MIST Center is structured around five technology topic areas: sensing, computing, wireless, power, and integration. These areas drive system technologies such as wearable devices, "internet of things" systems, sensor networks, and mist computing. MIST computing brings computing hardware to the sensor node and is the logical progression of the internet of things ecosystem beyond cloud computing and fog computing.

The projected 1 trillion connected wireless sensors in the coming fourth industrial revolution will require the development of low-power sensors and computing, as well as self-powering schemes. Such an ever-expanding, connected world will lead to a growing need for high-speed communication, higher-energy efficiency, lower cost, and advanced networking. The MIST Center, through partnership with its industry and government members, aligns the technology "push" research areas with the member company market "pulls," leading to accelerated R&D innovation and technology transition.

Awards

1939009

Phase II IUCRC at University of Florida: Center for Multi-functional Integrated System Technology (MIST)

The broader impacts of the Multi-functional Integrated System Technology (MIST) Center are to develop the hardware technologies necessary to propel the next generation of smart systems. The center focuses on translating novel materials, devices, and manufacturing processes into multi-functional integrated systems via collaboration with industry and government partners. The MIST Center targets pre-competitive research along the entire stack from emerging materials, electron, magnetic, acoustic, photonic, microelectromechanical, and photonic devices, to circuits and architecture needed to tackle complex challenges in developing the hardware underlying the Internet of Things (IoT). The Center trains the next generation of graduate students versed in the center's precompetitive research, actively recruits and mentors participants from underrepresented groups in science and engineering, and fosters public-private research networks across multiple academic, industrial, and government organizations. The UF Site will expand its STEM- and diversity-enhancing undergraduate outreach effort, called the “MIST Makers,” mentored by MIST Center faculty that develops IoT prototypes using off-the-shelf hardware. UF will also continue outreach to industry by organizing an industry/university symposium to promote dissemination and discussion of technology trends in smart system IoT hardware.

The proposed MIST Industry University Cooperative Research Center will be structured around five technology thrust areas – sensing, computing, wireless, power, and integration – to drive system technologies such as wearable devices, IoT systems, sensor networks, and "mist computing", bringing computing hardware to the sensor node and is the logical progression of the IoT ecosystem beyond cloud computing and fog computing. The MIST center will address specific technology challenges such as high-speed communication; self-powered, edge-of-the-node sensing; energy-efficient, low-power computing; advanced networking; and system integration. The UF research will focus on interdisciplinary microsystems, including acoustics, devices, magnetics, metamaterials, microfluidics, microelectromechanical systems, radio frequency antennas, and circuits, with research on topics such as: integration on flexible platforms, zero- power magnetic field sensors, shear-stress sensors, miniature LiDAR for autonomous applications, and low-loss, high-gain 5G antenna.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

1939050

Phase II IUCRC at University of Central Florida: Center for Multi-functional Integrated System Technology

The broader impacts of the Multi-functional Integrated System Technology (MIST) Center are to develop the hardware technologies necessary to propel the next generation of smart systems. The center focuses on translating novel materials, devices, and manufacturing processes into multi-functional integrated systems via collaboration with industry and government partners. The MIST Center targets pre-competitive research along the entire stack from emerging materials, electron, magnetic, acoustic, photonic, microelectromechanical, and photonic devices, to circuits and architecture needed to tackle complex challenges in developing the hardware underlying the Internet of Things (IoT). The Center trains the next generation of graduate students versed in the center's precompetitive research, actively recruits and mentors participants from underrepresented groups in science and engineering, and fosters public-private research networks across multiple academic, industrial, and government organizations. The UCF Site will expand a STEM- and diversity-focused undergraduate effort including Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experiences for Teachers (RET), as well as interacting with industry partners through graduate student internships.

The proposed MIST Industry University Cooperative Research Center will be structured around five technology thrust areas – sensing, computing, wireless, power, and integration – to drive system technologies such as wearable devices, IoT systems, sensor networks, and "mist computing", bringing computing hardware to the sensor node and is the logical progression of the IoT ecosystem beyond cloud computing and fog computing. The MIST center will address specific technology challenges such as high-speed communication; self-powered, edge-of-the-node sensing; energy-efficient, low-power computing; advanced networking; and system integration. The UCF Site will focus on interdisciplinary research including power semiconductor devices, 3D through glass via (TGV) reliability, 5G radio frequency circuits, silicon nanowire and chemical sensors, and optical devices for LiDAR.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

1939012

Phase II IUCRC at University of Virginia: Center for Multi-functional Integrated System Technology (MIST)

The broader impacts of the Multi-functional Integrated System Technology (MIST) Center are to develop the hardware technologies necessary to propel the next generation of smart systems. The center focuses on translating novel materials, devices, and manufacturing processes into multi-functional integrated systems via collaboration with industry and government partners. The MIST Center targets pre-competitive research along the entire stack from emerging materials, electron, magnetic, acoustic, photonic, microelectromechanical, and photonic devices, to circuits and architecture needed to tackle complex challenges in developing the hardware underlying the Internet of Things (IoT). The Center trains the next generation of graduate students versed in the center's precompetitive research, actively recruits and mentors participants from underrepresented groups in science and engineering, and fosters public-private research networks across multiple academic, industrial, and government organizations. The UVA Site will expand the development of promotional videos, career fairs for internships in member companies, minority recruitment events, and its annual “Truck Touch” event as a hands-on discovery station for children.

The proposed MIST Industry University Cooperative Research Center will be structured around five technology thrust areas – sensing, computing, wireless, power, and integration – to drive system technologies such as wearable devices, IoT systems, sensor networks, and "mist computing", bringing computing hardware to the sensor node and is the logical progression of the IoT ecosystem beyond cloud computing and fog computing. The MIST center will address specific technology challenges such as high-speed communication; self-powered, edge-of-the-node sensing; energy-efficient, low-power computing; advanced networking; and system integration. The UVA Site will pursue research in low-power electronics for computing, high speed photonics for sensing, and thermal management for power mitigation, with applications in the defense sector, such as AI for target tracking, low-power communication for battlefield-objective-warrior-network technology, and heat- energy propagation for microbolometer technology.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

1738752

Phase I Site Addition: I/UCRC for Multi-Functional Integrated System Technology (MIST) Center

This project involves a site addition of University of Virginia (UVA) to the Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) for Multifunctional Integrated Systems Technology (MIST). The semiconductor industry is grappling with the end of Moore's Law and a slow-down in electronic scaling for conventional digital logic. However, there is evidence of a parallel expansion into new domains such as unconventional computing and embedded applications. In particular the Internet of Things (IoT) promises by 2020 to connect up to 30 billion smart devices, buildings, vehicles and cities embedded with software, sensors and electronics that can exchange data and react in real time. While there is a lot of effort in IoT applications at the software level, the focus of this center is to develop the hardware base for the IoT. This includes five research thrusts ? computing, wireless, power, sensing and integration. The UVA site proposes to add new expertise in functional materials, solid-state devices, photonics, Terahertz sensing, thermal characterization, multiscale modeling and heterogeneous integration. Pre-competitive research in this area will serve industry interests by demonstrating proof-of-concept low power sensors and devices, enable cutting edge scientific and technological research, provide a platform for students to present research and facilitate recruitment, and target minority students through workshops geared towards industry internship.

The UVA Phase I site addition to the IUCRC center for Multifunctional Integrated Systems Technology (MIST) will focus on pre-competitive industry relevant research for smart systems innovations in the IoT era. This includes five research thrusts computing, wireless, power, sensing and integration ? targeting overall the hardware base for the IoT. This will need scalable and embedded applications with small Size-Weight and Power (SWaP), typically involving heterogeneous integration of materials, and integration of a large signal bandwidth from Terahertz and RF-photonic detection to Gigahertz for electronic processors. The UVA site proposes to add critical expertise towards integrated detector-processor arrays, including functional materials, solid-state devices, photonics, Terahertz sensing, thermal characterization, multiscale modeling and material integration. Research in this area will serve industry interests by demonstrating proof-of-concept low power sensors and devices, enable cutting edge scientific and technological research, provide a platform for students to present research and facilitate recruitment, and target minority students through workshops geared towards industry internship. Read More >

Member Organizations

IUCRC affiliated member organizations are displayed as submitted by the Center. Non-federal organizations are not selected, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the National Science Foundation.