An image sensor as an undergraduate VLSI project chip

We have used an image sensor as a multi-year project chip for undergraduates. With this project, students experience VLSI through an entire design cycle from start to finish. Students are involved in the design, simulation, testing i.e. all aspects of the project. The curriculum at Alfred is such that Juniors and Seniors can both take courses in VLSI emphasizing such topics as systems level design, analog design as well as other advanced topics. Students who take VLSI courses in their junior year are then allowed to work on the project chip during their senior year. Sensors constructed are based on the silicon retina, using transistors in subthreshold to produce signal compression at the pixel level.