Researchers to Upgrade CAD Technology

The University of Pittsburgh has received funding to develop computer-aided design (CAD) tools for microdevices that incorporate optics, electronics and micromechanical components on the same chip. The objective is to integrate specialized design functions into a software package. Researchers will focus on creating new software and design methods, including models for micro-optics and micromechanical devices, and a technique for the rapid modeling of system behavior. The systems are emerging in applications such as high-performance displays, fiber optic network switches and accelerometer sensors that control air-bag deployment in cars.

A $2 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and a $630,000 grant from the National Science Foundation support the program. Aiding the project are researchers at the University of Delaware and the US Army Research Laboratory, and industrial partners Coventor Inc., EM Photonics and Science Applications International Corp.