Application of fuzzy integrated FMEA with product lifetime consideration for new product development in flexible electronics industry

Purpose: the aim of this paper is to minimize the risks of new product development and shorten time-to-market, particularly for high-tech enterprise where the complexity of the product generates vast amount of failure mode. Design/methodology/approach: first, the concept of Critical Consideration Factor (CCF) is introduced based on product-specific technical characteristics, expected lifetime, and yield requirement to identify and prioritize the critical failure mode in the subsequent Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), followed by process characterization on the high-risk failure mode and Critical Parameter Management (CPM) practice to realize a robust mass production system of the developed technology. The application on the development of advanced flexible substrate and surface finishes fabrication technique is presented. Findings: through the proposed methodology, the risk level of each potential failure mode can be accurately quantified to identify the critical variables. With process characterization, reliability of the product is ensured. Consequently, significant reduction in development resources and time-to-market can be achieved. Practical implications: the development strategy allows high tech enterprises to achieve a balanced ecosystem in which value created through adaption of new technology/product can be thoroughly captured through commercialization in a timely manner with no field failure. Originality/value: the proposed development strategy utilizes a unique approach with thorough considerations that enables high tech enterprise to deliver new product with rapid time-to-market without sacrificing product lifetime reliability, which is key to achieve competitive advantage in the highly dynamic market.Peer Reviewe

Experimental Evaluation and Comparison of Time-Multiplexed Multi-FPGA Routing Architectures

Emulating large complex designs require multi-FPGA systems (MFS). However, inter-FPGA communication is confronted by the challenge of lack of interconnect capacity due to limited number of FPGA input/output (I/O) pins. Serializing parallel signals onto a single trace effectively addresses the limited I/O pin obstacle. Besides the multiplexing scheme and multiplexing ratio (number of inter-FPGA signals per trace), the choice of the MFS routing architecture also affect the critical path latency. The routing architecture of an MFS is the interconnection pattern of FPGAs, fixed wires and/or programmable interconnect chips. Performance of existing MFS routing architectures is also limited by off-chip interface selection. In this dissertation we proposed novel 2D and 3D latency-optimized time-multiplexed MFS routing architectures. We used rigorous experimental approach and real sequential benchmark circuits to evaluate and compare the proposed and existing MFS routing architectures. This research provides a new insight into the encouraging effects of using off-chip optical interface and three dimensional MFS routing architectures. The vertical stacking results in shorter off-chip links improving the overall system frequency with the additional advantage of smaller footprint area. The proposed 3D architectures employed serialized interconnect between intra-plane and inter-plane FPGAs to address the pin limitation problem. Additionally, all off-chip links are replaced by optical fibers that exhibited latency improvement and resulted in faster MFS. Results indicated that exploiting third dimension provided latency and area improvements as compared to 2D MFS. We also proposed latency-optimized planar 2D MFS architectures in which electrical interconnections are replaced by optical interface in same spatial distribution. Performance evaluation and comparison showed that the proposed architectures have reduced critical path delay and system frequency improvement as compared to conventional MFS. We also experimentally evaluated and compared the system performance of three inter-FPGA communication schemes i.e. Logic Multiplexing, SERDES and MGT in conjunction with two routing architectures i.e. Completely Connected Graph (CCG) and TORUS. Experimental results showed that SERDES attained maximum frequency than the other two schemes. However, for very high multiplexing ratios, the performance of SERDES & MGT became comparable

Study of the impact of lithography techniques and the current fabrication processes on the design rules of tridimensional fabrication technologies

Working for the photolithography tool manufacturer leader sometimes gives me the impression of how complex and specific is the sector I am working on. This master thesis topic came with the goal of getting the overall picture of the state-of-the-art: stepping out and trying to get a helicopter view usually helps to understand where a process is in the productive chain, or what other firms and markets are doing to continue improvingUniversidad de sevilla.Máster Universitario en Microelectrónica: Diseño y Aplicaciones de Sistemas Micro/Nanométrico

Three-dimensional design methodologies for tree-based FPGA architecture

This book focuses on the development of 3D design and implementation methodologies for Tree-based FPGA architecture. It also stresses the needs for new and augmented 3D CAD tools to support designs such as, the design for 3D, to manufacture high performance 3D integrated circuits and reconfigurable FPGA-based systems. This book was written as a text that covers the foundations of 3D integrated system design and FPGA architecture design. It was written for the use in an elective or core course at the graduate level in field of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Doctoral Research programs. No previous background on 3D integration is required, nevertheless fundamental understanding of 2D CMOS VLSI design is required. It is assumed that reader has taken the core curriculum in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering, with courses like CMOS VLSI design, Digital System Design and Microelectronics Circuits being the most important. It is accessible for self-study by both senior students and professionals alike

The complexities of change, leadership and technology in Australian university libraries

Managing change in university libraries has been a critical issue for libraries during recent decades. Revolutionary advancement in information and communication technologies (ICT) has been a disruptive force for all libraries. Technology has significantly impacted on higher education pedagogy and student learning behaviour. In Australia, federal government policy, increasingly tightening funding, deregulation and the introduction of market forces to higher education also compelled universities and their libraries to adapt swiftly or become irrelevant organisations in their universities. Therefore, this research aims to explore the change management practices employed and the future directions of Australian university libraries from the context of change, leadership and technological complexities. Discussion of the theoretical aspects of change appears in the literature on librarianship but is mostly limited to theoretical models applied in libraries or to practices of managing change in respective libraries. Literature on the connection between change induced by technologies in the context of leadership is sparse. Adapting to change concerning library leadership and management is not a field covered in depth in the academic commentary. The Internet has induced revolutionary change for university libraries from the mid-1990s, but in-depth research on the changes has, to a great extent, failed to materialise. Empirical research to explore the current change management practices of Australian university libraries and to learn from their experiences is an aim of this research in order to contribute new knowledge in this field of inquiry. This study investigates the effectiveness of change management practices and the role of leadership in Australian university libraries within an environment of ongoing transition in technology, funding, needs of clients, and university teaching, learning and research. This research uses the inductive qualitative constructivist approach with constructivism as its foundation for knowledge creation. This study collected information by visiting 18 Australian public university libraries and interviewing chief librarians, or their equivalents. The interviews were characterised by in-depth open-ended questions based on four key themes that emerged from the literature review: change, technology, leadership and human resources development. Document analysis and library reports were used for data triangulation. Data from these three sources were gathered, coded thematically, analysed and synthesised to construct knowledge within this thesis. This study provides a substantial body of knowledge as an original contribution and extension to existing knowledge in the complex area of managing rapid change. Maintaining a proficient service and addressing 21st century needs of university library stakeholders within an ever changing and technologically turbulent environment are prominent issues within this research. The research makes three main contributions to knowledge. Firstly, some university libraries with new buildings seem to be very active in swiftly adapting to changing environments by designing purpose-built structures and integrating new technology into the design, as well as expanding to areas that were once considered non-traditional responsibilities of libraries. Secondly, there has been a paradigm shift in university libraries since the 1990s. This has involved collection development, services, policies and practices, the changes from just physical buildings to virtual libraries, required new skills among library staff (including senior managers), and the shift in management and communication with new and old stakeholders. Thirdly, based on this research, a model for effective change management in the context of university libraries has been developed to complement other change management models and strategies. The findings of this research challenge traditional views of library management, emphasising the necessity for libraries to meet vast changes in stakeholder needs while adding value to university goals. The study echoes the power of market forces and advancing ICT and discusses and analyses the need for new recruitment policies for librarians to attract new knowledge and skills required to meet the needs of key clients in a highly digitised environment. Accordingly, the research also provides some policy recommendations to facilitate the evolution of the futureorientated university library and to maintain its relevance. The above-mentioned research findings contribute to knowledge, primarily in the Australian university library context. It also adds value to university libraries in countries with similar higher education environmental conditions. This research may have a modest impact on public, schools and private libraries, given the relevance of the use of technology to support learning, teaching and research as an individual or amalgamated pursuit