Department of Electrical Engineering


University of Notre Dame

275 Fitzpatrick Hall

Notre Dame, IN   46556

Phone:  574.631.6269

Fax:  574.631.4393

email:  bernstein dot 1 at nd dot edu

Notre Dame Electrical Engineering:  http://xml.ee.nd.edu/

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Bernstein is engaged in a wide variety of research projects as described below.


Quilt Packaging:  Bernstein is co-inventor (with Fay, Porod and Liu) of a chip-to-chip interconnect technique called “Quilt Packaging,” in which small metal nodules protruding from the edges of chips allow them to communicate with ultrawide bandwidth and low power.  This ongoing work has led to world record interconnect bandwidth, with less than 0.1 dB of insertion loss from 50 MHz to 100 GHz.  Bernstein is co-founder of Indiana Integrated Circuits, LLC, a Notre Dame spin-off company whose mission is to commercialize this exciting new technology.


Nanomagnet Logic:  Bernstein directs the fabrication and materials related aspects of Nanomagnet Logic (NML) (along with Porod, Niemier and Hu), which is a variation of the quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) approach, as applied to nanomagnets.  One advantage of nanomagnets is that they are well-behaved at room temperature, and it is straightforward to demonstrate NML operation of logic gates and more-complicated arrangements.


Nanoantennas:  Along with Porod and Fay, Bernstein is involved in the materials and fabrication aspects of nanoantennas for infrared imaging.  In this project, shadow evaporation and oxidation of aluminum nanostructures can be used to make antennas that “receive” infrared radiation.  Considerable advancements have been made in this area, and progress continues.


Nanopatterning with DNA Origami:  In collaboration with Marya Lieberman from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bernstein explores the self-assembly of DNA origami to use in nanopatterning.  The DNA origami are synthesized in Lieberman’s group, and Bernstein’s group is responsible for creating nanopatterns on smooth surfaces to which the origami self-assemble and organize.  The goal of this project is to develop directed self-assembly of complex electronic arrangements for computing.


OUTREACH

Bernstein is engaged in several outreach projects, the most active of which is teaching undergraduates how to use a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for self-directed, curiosity-driven research. Bernstein obtained the SEM for the Notre Dame Engineering Learning Center, and the instrument is currently being used for RET instruction, undergraduate research, and K-12 outreach.  Students and teachers are invited to use the SEM at their convenience for any purpose ranging from the sheer fun of looking at cool stuff like bugs, to structured undergraduate research, to curriculum development.  Maintenance of the SEM is provided by the Colleges of Engineering and Science.  A website at http://electronphotos.nd.edu/ dedicated to highlighting the exciting images obtained by the students on a variety of specimens, from integrated circuits to random bugs found around campus.


EDUCATION

Bernstein received the BSEE from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, with honors in 1979 and the MSEE from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana in 1981.  During the summers of 1979 and ’80, he was a Graduate Assistant at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and in the summer of 1983 interned at the Motorola Semiconductor Research and Development Laboratory, Tempe, Arizona.  He received his Ph.D. from Arizona State University, Tempe, in 1987, after which he spent a year there as a Postdoctoral Fellow.


ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

Bernstein joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana in 1988 as an Assistant Professor, and was the founding Director of the Notre Dame Nanoelectronics Facility from 1989 to 1998.  Bernstein was promoted to rank of Professor in 1998, and served as the Associate Chairman of his Department from 1999 to 2006.  In 2010, Bernstein became a Frank M. Freimann Professor of Electrical Engineering.


Dr. Bernstein has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications in the areas of electron beam lithography, quantum electronics, high-speed integrated circuits, electromigration, MEMS, nanomagnetics and electronics packaging.  He has acted as Research Advisor for 13 MSEE degrees and 12 Ph.D.s.


RECOGNITION

Dr. Bernstein was named an NSF White House Presidential Faculty Fellow in 1992.  In 2001, he was recognized for his curricular contributions with the Notre Dame Kaneb Teaching Award.  In 2006, Bernstein was named a Fellow of the IEEE, and with his former student, Jie Wu, received the “Sensors and Transducers Journal Best Paper of the Year Award” for 2006.  Additionally, Bernstein and co-workers received the “IEEE Transactions on Advanced Packaging Best Paper of the Year Award” for 2007.  In 2011, Bernstein was named to the University of Connecticut School of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Engineers.


TEACHING

Bernstein has been active in teaching at all levels.  He has developed or co-developed 10 new courses at Notre Dame, including the first integrated circuits processing laboratory, as well as the Frontiers in Microelectronics course, both supported by NSF.  Bernstein has directed more than 60 undergraduate research projects, helping many students prepare for careers in research laboratories, industrial settings and universities.  Bernstein was active in the development of the First Year Engineering course through the creation of a module on information and nanotechnologies, has supervised several Research Experiences for Teachers (RET), and coached Lego Robotics teams.


FAMILY AND HOBBIES

Bernstein is married with three sons, the oldest of whom attends Notre Dame.  His hobbies include clarinet playing,  vintage audio equipment, and wristwatch collecting and repairing.