The Engineering Division’s Detectors, Integrated Circuits, and Embedded Systems (DICES) group is part of the Electronics, Software, and Instrumentation (ESIE) department, and develops integrated circuits for a variety of applications, especially for particle detector and scientific imager readout. We focus on providing high-channel-count, mixed-signal chips for extreme environments (e.g., high-radiation, low-temperature, or in-vacuum operation) where suitable commercial parts do not exist.

The group's core capabilities include ultra-low-noise analog front ends, high-performance data converters, CCD-imager clock drivers, and CMOS active-pixel sensors for scientific imaging. Design capabilities cover a wide range of IC technologies, including mixed-signal, silicon-on-insulator (SOI), and high-voltage CMOS, with delivery of ICs fabricated in CMOS process nodes from 180nm down to 28nm.

We also are working on electronics that operate at liquid helium temperature and below, opening a path to integrated instrumentation to enhance monitoring and safety for superconducting magnets. In addition, we are building upon recent efforts in neural recording and sensing to address challenges in bioelectrical interfaces, such as brain-machine interface applications. Finally, we are investigating the potential for custom programmable processors, based on the open-source RISC-V instruction set, to efficiently execute specific algorithms.