Semiconductor Technology And Rad-Effects Research Lab
About Us
STARR-Lab is a University of Saskatchewan research group advancing the understanding of radiation effects and reliability in modern microelectronics. Through semiconductor design, simulation, irradiation experiments, and system-level validation, the lab develops new technologies while training the next generation of engineers and researchers.
Research Capabilities
STARR-Lab develops advanced integrated circuits and electronic systems for operation in radiation environments. Our research spans transistor-level circuit design, radiation-hardened standard cells, digital and mixed-signal systems, FPGA development, and complete ASIC implementation. Students gain hands-on experience with modern semiconductor technologies and industry-standard design, simulation, verification, and physical-layout tools.
We study how radiation and long-term operating conditions affect modern electronic devices and systems. Our research includes total ionizing dose, single-event effects, displacement damage, semiconductor aging, and temperature-dependent reliability. Experiments are conducted using gamma, alpha, proton, neutron, heavy-ion, and pulsed-laser sources to better understand failure mechanisms and develop more reliable electronics.
STARR-Lab designs custom hardware and software to support radiation-effects experiments and semiconductor reliability research. These systems include device test boards, real-time monitoring platforms, automated data-acquisition tools, beamline instrumentation, and fault-injection systems. This work enables accurate experimental measurements while giving students practical experience in embedded systems, electronics, software development, and laboratory testing.
Looking for commercial testing or engineering support?
Commercial radiation testing, test-system development, and customer-directed engineering projects are delivered through Novigrad Technologies, STARR-Lab’s commercial partner.