A group of undergraduate students at IIT (BHU), Varanasi, has achieved a milestone that few engineering students reach during their academic years. Primarily led by second-year B.Tech students from the Department of Electronics Engineering, the team has successfully completed the institute’s first-ever silicon tape-out, taking a chip design from concept to fabrication submission within just five months.The achievement places IIT (BHU) among a growing number of academic institutions contributing directly to India’s semiconductor ecosystem at a time when the country is pushing to strengthen its domestic chip design and manufacturing capabilities.
Students build 64-point FFT Hardware Accelerator
The student team designed a 64-point Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) Hardware Accelerator chip using the SKY130 process. After completing the design and verification stages, the chip was submitted for fabrication through the Tiny Tapeout Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) Shuttle Programme.A silicon tape-out marks the final stage of the chip design process before fabrication. Once a design reaches this point, it is considered ready to be manufactured on a silicon wafer, making it one of the most critical milestones in semiconductor development.
Why FFT technology matters
This project is more than just a simple classroom assignment. FFT algorithm is very useful in many current technologies.This algorithm has been implemented in wireless communication systems, artificial intelligence systems, medical imaging machines, GPS navigation tools, radar systems, audio/video signal processors, and multimedia platforms. Efficient signal processing allows FFT to be one of the main components of current digital systems.The design of FFT hardware accelerator involved work with a technology which has current and future relevance in many booming industries.
Landmark achievement for undergraduate research
The reason for its uniqueness is the make-up of the team that accomplished this feat. At the time when the chip was designed, it involved mostly second year undergraduate students, who have only just begun to hone their engineering skills.Creating a fabrication-worthy semiconductor chip demands knowledge of digital electronics and hardware engineering. The fact that this task was completed within five months indicates the technical capabilities of the students as well as the research culture prevailing within the institute.This also proves the fact that undergraduate students can transcend the boundaries of academic life and contribute to the field of advanced engineering.
A new chapter for IIT (BHU)
The successful silicon tape-out marks a historic first for IIT (BHU) and sets a new benchmark for student-led innovation on campus. More importantly, it shows that young engineers can contribute meaningfully to one of the world’s most complex and strategically important industries.For the students involved, the project is more than a technical accomplishment. It is proof that undergraduate research, when backed by determination and practical exposure, can produce outcomes that extend far beyond the classroom.
