2025 International Conference on Analog VLSI Circuits

Keynote

Let's connect intelligences

Abstract: Who remembers a world without cell phones and the Internet? Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFIC) have enabled democratizing communications with ever-greater data exchanges. We invent the technology and systems that allow us to increase the communication potential from one generation to the next tenfold: goodbye 4G, we are making 5G with 6G in our sights and even beyond. What more can we connect and how? Human and artificial intelligences will communicate in tomorrow's networks with integrated circuits we will invent now.

Speaker

Assoc. Prof. Dr. François Rivet

Université de Bordeaux, France

Bio: Dr. François Rivet received his Master's and Ph.D. degrees in 2005 and 2009 from the University of Bordeaux. Since June 2010, he has been tenured as an Associate Professor at the Bordeaux Institute of Technology (Bordeaux INP). His research is focused on the design of RFICs in the IMS Laboratory, the University of Bordeaux microelectronics laboratory. In 2014, he founded the "Circuits and Systems" research team. Dr. Rivet has publications in top-ranked journals, international, and national conferences and holds 20 patents. He is involved in several Technical Program Committees (RFIC, ESSCIRC, ...) and in steering committees (RFIC, ICECS, LASCAS). He is a member of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society since 2024.

Smarter signals for healthier lives

Abstract: Signals from the body such as electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), and glucose levels carry important information about health. These signals are often small and affected by noise. With the use of advanced analog front-end circuits, ECG and PPG signals can be cleaned and shaped before reaching digital processing. This allows artificial intelligence to work more accurately and with much lower power. When applied to wearable monitors and glucose sensors, these techniques support continuous and real-time health tracking. In this talk, the combination of circuit design and intelligent signal processing will be introduced as a way to create simpler and more effective diagnostic systems for everyday use.

Speaker

Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Nazrul Anuar bin Nayan

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia

Bio: Dr. Nazrul Anuar Nayan is a Researcher at the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), where he has served since 2008. His research focuses on biomedical signal processing and microelectronics. He is also the CEO of IDNA Ideas, a UKM start-up company dedicated to technology training and engineering education. Dr. Nazrul is a registered Professional Engineer with the Board of Engineers Malaysia since 2013. Prior to his academic career, he gained industry experience in engineering design and semiconductor manufacturing at Hitachi Ltd. Japan, Unisem, and Stats ChipPAC. From 2014 to 2016, he conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oxford, where he was also a Research Member of Common Room at Kellogg College. He holds a B.Eng. from The University of Tokyo (1998), and an M.Eng. (2008) and D.Eng. (2011) in Electronics and Information Systems from Gifu University, Japan.

Power, Precision, and Intelligence: The Future of Audio in the Age of Generative AI

Abstract: This presentation explores the evolving landscape of professional and high-end consumer audio equipment, focusing on the interplay between analog fidelity, digital innovation, and emerging AI technologies. Drawing from decades of experience in designing world-class DAC/ADC chips, the talk highlights how boundary devices—those bridging analog and digital realms—remain critical to audio quality and inherently power-intensive. As generative AI enters the audio domain, from mixing consoles to guitar emulators, we examine how its computational demands influence design choices, power budgets, and creative possibilities. The session will also address sustainability, user experience, and the future of audio craftsmanship in an increasingly intelligent ecosystem.

Speaker

Emeritus Prof. Dr. Toshihiko Hamasaki

Hiroshima Institute of Technology, Japan

Bio: Dr. Hamasaki received his Doctor of Engineering degree in 1984 from Hiroshima University, where he conducted advanced research on hydrogenated amorphous silicon using plasma CVD technology. His work was part of Japan’s national “Sunshine Project,” a major initiative led by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. From 1984 to 1991, he worked at Toshiba’s ULSI Research Center, participating in the government-sponsored “Three-Dimensional IC” project. He later focused on high-precision SPICE modeling of high-speed bipolar transistors, contributing to the advancement of semiconductor simulation technologies. In 1991, Dr. Hamasaki joined Burr-Brown Corporation as Development Director for the Consumer Product Line. He led the design of mixed-signal semiconductor systems for audio and imaging applications, managing a cross-functional development team. Following Burr-Brown’s acquisition, he became Head of the Analog Technology Center at DCES Company of Texas Instruments Ltd. from 2001 to 2010. In recognition of his technical excellence and leadership, he was honored with the TI Fellow Award in 2004. From 2010 to 2024, Dr. Hamasaki served as Professor at Hiroshima Institute of Technology, where he held key leadership roles including Dean of the Faculty of Applied Information Sciences and Director of the IoT Technology Research Center. His research continued to explore the frontier between analog and digital signal processing, while also promoting the development of talent for industrial digital transformation and advancing IoT technologies in regional industries. Dr. Hamasaki is a Senior Member of both the IEEE and the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (IEICE). He has actively contributed to academic communities, serving as Vice Chair of the IEICE Technical Committee on Integrated Circuits and Devices and Chair of the IEEJ Technical Meeting on Electronic Circuits.