Microelectronics education is a collaborative, multidisciplinary activity, involving the combined efforts of system architects, circuit designers, device engineers, software developers, and process engineers. India, with capabilities in VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) design and software development, has potentially captured a larger share of the market by focussing on these segments.
Research in VLSI / CAD (Computer Aided Design) works toward developing new algorithms and design methodologies that allow the VLSI designers to design correct, faster, smaller and more power-efficient integrated circuits. Research in VLSI/CAD has proved to be one of the important reasons for the VLSI boom in recent years. Applications of such research abound in current industrial practice.
Oyster Laboratory (Microelectronics and VLSI Lab at BITS Pilani) is involved in the design and implementation of Analogue, Digital, RF and Mixed-signal VLSI circuits and systems. Applications in Signal Processing are also being developed. Micro and nano-scale semiconductor process technologies ranging from 0.35μm to 65nm CMOS process technologies are being investigated for various VLSI System-On-Chip implementations.