Newswise — Valparaiso University computer engineering student Josh Wood will present the results of research that could lead to improvements in the performance of microprocessors " which provide the brainpower for computers and an increasing array of consumer electronic devices such as iPods " at two professional conferences this winter.
Dr. Kraig Olejniczak, dean of Valparaiso's College of Engineering, said only a small number of undergraduate students are invited to present research at either conference, and characterized the selection of a student to present at both conferences in the same year as "rare, if not unprecedented."
Wood, a senior from Reynolds, Ill., has spent the past year working on the research projects and will be one of a handful of undergraduate students to present research papers at the International Semiconductor Device Research Symposium in December and the Applied Power Electronics Conference in February.
At the APEC, Wood will present the paper "An Active Suppression Circuit for the Reduction of di/dt Event Supply Voltage Variation," which he co-authored with fellow computer engineering major Nick Spagnuolo of Columbus and Dr. Mark Budnik, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.
The paper details the effects of short-lived current spikes on microprocessors and shows how capacitors can be used to suppress those spikes.
"By suppressing these spikes, the variation in the microprocessor's operating voltage is decreased, leading to better performance, higher clock speeds and lower chip area," Wood said, critical needs for businesses and consumers demanding smaller yet faster electronic devices.
At the ISDRS, Wood will present "A Carbon Nanotube Capacitor Structure," which he co-authored with Dr. Budnik. The paper explores the use of carbon nanotubes " sheets of graphite only one atom thick and rolled into cylinders " to construct a capacitor.
"These nanotubes have very high surface area-to-volume ratios, making them excellent for capacitor applications," Wood said. Whereas previous research in carbon nanotubes tried to lower capacitance " a measure of the amount of electric charge stored or separated for a given electric potential " Wood's research investigated increasing it by constructing and analyzing various carbon nanotube capacitor configurations.
"Our research showed that our capacitor will exceed the required capacitance values necessary for future electronics," Wood said. "Higher capacitance will help increase battery life and lower chip area for microprocessors."
Wood previously has been invited to present research on nanocomputer technology at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, the largest and most prestigious undergraduate research conference in the United States, and he was named one of 135 Tau Beta Pi Scholars by the national engineering honor society. Valparaiso is a member of the Council on Undergraduate Research.
Undergraduate research has given Wood an opportunity to gain both a highly theoretical understanding of research problems and explore the highly applied side of academic research.
"My research experiences have made me approach engineering problems in a more creative and innovative way," Wood said. "That has been quite invaluable in both my engineering internship experience as well as my undergraduate classes."
The intensive research Wood has been able to do also will pay dividends for his planned graduate work in nanotechnology after completing his bachelor's degree at Valparaiso.
"Instead of spending time getting acclimated to the graduate school research environment, I will be able to jump right into my research," he said.
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