Design, Test and Reliability Research Laboratory

Professor Mani Soma

Mani Soma quickly escaped the university system with the standard set of degrees but just as quickly discovered that he was not up to any realistic industry challenge. Returning to the make-believe world of academia, he found a small niche area in mixed analog-digital system testing and published several inconsequential papers before the competition got tough. He is well known as a team builder and team player: the list of people he has cooperated with is just as long as and identical to the list of people who will never cooperate with him again. After a short stint as a notoriously incompetent part-time administrator, he now cooks, gardens, and teaches folk dancing. He continues to be a living proof of G. Bernard Shaw's dictum: "My reputation increases with every failure."

Phone: 206-685-3810
Fax: 206-616-0574
Email: soma@ee.washington.edu

Current Graduate Students

	Kianosh Rahimi Kianosh Rahimi got his BSEE in 1995 in Electronics, and his MSEE in 1997 in VLSI at the University of Washington. Currently, Kia is pursing his Ph.D. in VLSI testing at the DTRR lab at the University of Washington. His research focus is application-based mixed signal testability measurement. Email: rayane4@ee.washington.edu
	Qi (Stephen) Wang Qi (Stephen) Wang got his Bachelors Degree in 1997 and his Masters Degree in 2000 from Fudan University, China. After graduation, he was an IC design engineer and project leader in Shanghai SyncMOS Semiconductor Ltd. Co. for two years. His work mainly focused on mixed-signal IC design. Currently, Stephen is pursuing his Ph.D. at University of Washington. His research focus is creating a new method to design and test high frequency mixed-signal telecommunication system Email: qwang@ee.washington.edu
	Hieu Nguyen Email: hieun@ee.washington.edu
	David Bordoley After far too many freezing winters while pursuing dual B.S. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan State University, Dave decided that he had enough and moved to rainy seattle to pursue a masters degree at University of Washington. Impressed by the list of people who will never again cooperate with Professor Soma, he joined DTTRL in January of 2004 as a member of the jitter measurement group. Dave plans to complete his masters degree in the winter of 2005 and continue avoiding the real world as Ph.D. student. Email: bordoley@u.washington.edu
	Ken Blakkan Ken Blakkan is a graduate student, researching radio frequency noise models for mixed-signal ICs and systems, and applications thereof, to advance VLSI test technology. He plans to earn his MSEE by March 2005, and continue studies to earn a Ph.D. His research topics include: intuitive visualization of rigorous stochastic noise analysis techniques for PLL jitter and phase noise, investigation of Van der Ziel’s models for device noise, applied to RF communication transceiver design and test, and application of these methods and models to develop improved CAD and BIST techniques that reduce the cost of RF IC mixed-signal test. During occasional escapes from his studies and research, he and his wife, Lisa, hike the great Pacific Northwest, climb volcanoes, and ski their slopes. Email: kbz@u.washington.edu
	Alex Nugent Email: knowm@ee.washington.edu

Current Undegraduate Students

Viraj Desai

Email: virajd@u.washington.edu