Integrated Systems Pathway
The application space for integrated systems is virtually unlimited. Integrated circuits and systems are pervasive in all electronic systems and are a critical component of the U.S. and world economy. The critical need for integrated circuits and sensors on a chip is reflected in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which is a long-term, multi-billion dollar investment in boosting the competitiveness of the U.S. semiconductor industry. Currently, there is a shortage of U.S. engineers skilled in analog, mixed-signal and digital integrated circuit design. The skills developed in learning the art of integrated circuit and system design carry over to many areas of electrical and computer engineering, virtually guaranteeing many career opportunities for decades to come.
Students who follow the Integrated Systems pathway will be building knowledge and skills in integrated circuit design, which provides the foundation for semiconductor chips and related technologies. The skills developed on this pathway can also be translated to many other areas of electrical and computer engineering, such as embedded systems, VLSI design, and board-level hardware design for applications ranging from sensing, communication systems, interfaces and computing.
This pathway is a good fit for students who are interested in:
- Math, physics, signal processing and computer programming
- New and emerging applications for microelectronics
- Applying this knowledge to build semiconductor chips for many different applications, such as biomedical systems, neural engineering, high-speed communication, computer engineering, remote sensing, machine learning, signal processing and quantum interfaces
FAQs
Does a student need a graduate degree specializing in this area to be marketable to industry?
No. There are plenty of jobs in the semiconductor industry and related industries for students with a bachelor’s degree. In fact, the skills learned through the Integrated Systems pathway are some of the broadest found in UW ECE. Graduates can work at most any company that develops and designs electronic systems, whether on a chip or on a printed circuit board.
While there is an abundance of jobs after completing an undergraduate degree with a focus on Integrated Systems, students will benefit enormously and expand their available options if they continue on to obtain a graduate degree in electrical and computer engineering.
Do integrated systems touch on global impact, equity and/or quality of life?
All electronic systems benefit from size and cost reduction, which makes many applications more accessible to lower-income populations, particularly in under-resourced countries. Semiconductor chips are small and inexpensive in high-volume production. When new applications are integrated onto a single chip, the devices become accessible to a broad range of users.
Some examples where chips have made many applications more accessible to low-income and under-resourced populations include:
- Sensors that can make human/machine interactions safer
- Wireless communication connecting people and societies worldwide
- Sensing and control platforms for automotive and autonomous vehicle applications
- Implantable chips and devices that improve quality of life, such as pacemakers for heart conditions and deep brain stimulators for Parkinson’s disease
Areas of Impact
Integrated systems built into semiconductor chips can be found in most technologies today. Systems-on-a-Chip (SoC) are involved anywhere there is processing, sensing or communication.
Air and Space
Applications for Integrated Systems include producing semiconductor chips for space communication, spectroscopy, and radar sensing.
Computing Data and Digital Technologies
Chips are needed for communication from remote computing data and storage of data. High-speed, broadband communication from computer to network also requires Integrated Systems know-how for chip design and production.
Environmental Sustainability and Energy
Control, regulation, storage and acquisition of energy are dependent on chips and Integrated Systems knowledge.
Health and Medicine
Chips are at the core of technologies designed to heal and augment the body, including implantable and wearable technology, medical instrumentation, and communication of biomedical data.
Infrastructure, Transportation, and Society
As autonomous vehicles and advanced robotics make their way into the marketplace, Integrated Systems knowledge and semiconductor chips are at the heart of technologies related to sensing and control.
Related Career Paths
Typical jobs for graduates who have followed the Integrated Systems pathway include system and circuit design for biomedical, communication and sensor interface systems. A small sampling of companies where skills in integrated circuit design are in high demand includes:
- Amazon
- Apple
- Boeing
- Facebook (Meta) / Oculus
- Google (Alphabet)
- Intel
- Qualcomm
- Texas Instruments
Integrated Systems Courses
When planning for courses, review projected course offerings here and be sure to check all course prerequisites (course titles below link to the catalog course description, which includes prerequisite information).
These courses are suggested for those following the Integrated Systems pathway but are not required to complete the BSECE degree program:
How can knowledge about electrical engineering fundamentals be combined with digital logic to build the sorts of digital circuits that are at the heart of processors today? This course begins with a close examination of a simple CMOS inverter design and uses it to introduce students to the world of digital circuit design.
EE 332 — Devices and Circuits II
Take a deeper dive into devices and circuits. Learn about characteristics of bipolar transistors; large- and small-signal models for bipolar and field effect transistors; linear circuit applications, including low and high frequency analysis of differential amplifiers, current sources, gain stages and output stages; internal circuitry of op-amps, op-amp configurations, op-amp stability and compensation. A weekly laboratory is part of this course.
EE 433 — Analog Circuit Design (pending number change to EE 333)
Learn about the design of analog circuits and systems applying modern integrated circuit technology. Topics covered include operational amplifiers, differential amplifiers, active filters, voltage references and regulators.
EE 473 — Linear Integrated Circuits
Students will study the design of linear integrated circuits applying modern MOS and BJT integrated circuit technologies: single-stage amplifiers; current-mirror DC bias and active load circuits; stability and frequency compensation of single-stage and two-stage operational amplifiers; output stages; and current and voltage reference circuits.
EE 400 — Linear Integrated Circuits- pt.2 (currently run as special topics, awaiting permanent number)
Goals: To focus on the assembly of analog building blocks into larger systems and sub-systems suitable for integration in silicon-CMOS technologies. The course begins by reinforcing skills surrounding stability and compensation described in EE-473. The course then addresses more advanced topics as they related to larger analog and mixed-signal integrated systems on a chip (SoCs). Specifically, topics related to switched-capacitor circuit design, CMOS clocking and phased-locked loop circuits.
Capstone
Students in the Integrated Systems Pathway are encouraged to take EE 437 as their capstone; using ENGINE instead as the capstone is also possible.
EE 437 — Integrated Systems Capstone
Students take part in a team-based design experience to develop integrated electronic systems by constructing and validating and prototyping integrated circuits and sensors using modern Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools. Systems will be simulated using modern semiconductor, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMs) and nanophotonic technologies. The student teams will define project requirements; investigate tradeoffs in performance, cost, power and size; and develop design for both reliability and testability.
EE 497 (winter quarter) and EE 498 (spring quarter) — Engineering Entrepreneurial Capstone (ENGINE)
The Engineering Entrepreneurial Capstone program (ENGINE) is the culmination of a student’s electrical and computer engineering education at UW ECE. The program provides a unique opportunity for students to develop skills in collaborative systems engineering, project management, and most importantly, working in teams on real-world problems from industry-sponsored projects. The program is overseen by UW ECE faculty and students are guided by practicing engineers. The course culminates in a showcase of student projects, which is attended by industry sponsors and held at the end of spring quarter every year.
Crossing Paths
Students studying Integrated Systems should also consider the following customizable pathways:
Enriching Your Path
The following courses are also recommended for those following the Integrated Systems pathway: