Chips. They are in our phones, cars, watches, and even inside bridges and greenhouses. But how do you make one, and why are they so crucial to our future? Harijot Singh Bindra, assistant professor at UT and expert in integrated circuit design, aims to push chip technology to its limits, making them more efficient, more powerful, and far more sustainable.
Designing smarter chips from scratch
“Designing a chip is like being a surgeon,” Bindra says. “It is precise, demanding, and has to be spot-on.” Chips start as ideas, shaped by a clear goal: reduce energy consumption towards batteryless operation, improve signal quality, or enhance performance and robustness in a rugged environment operation. Then comes a mix of software simulation, schematic drawings, and meticulous layout design, often using powerful computers and specialised tools. Once a design is ready, it gets sent to a fabrication facility, such as those using ASML’s high-tech lithography machines. Months later, the prototype of the chip comes back, ready to be tested in the lab.
What sets Bindra’s work apart is his focus on extreme energy efficiency. Many of today’s devices rely on batteries that wear out long before the actual tech does. Think of pacemakers, underground sensors, or chips buried deep inside a bridge structure. They are almost impossible to replace.
Cool tech, literally
One of Bindra’s breakthroughs came during his PhD, when his team set a world record for the lowest energy consumption in analogue-to-digital conversion; a process that allows analogue signals (like temperature or sound) to be turned into digital data that computers can use. His chip still holds the global energy-efficiency record in that domain.
All the devices around us (phones, smartwatches, medical sensors) need this type of conversion to work. And with more and more ‘smart’ devices entering our homes, cars, and cities, reducing their energy consumption is vital. “If your smart home hub ends up using more power than your fridge, we have done something wrong,” Bindra jokes. But the point is serious: making chips that work only when needed, and sleep the rest of the time, could drastically reduce energy waste. Think of batteries that power the devices surrounding us, that’s the e-waste that must be tackled with.
From farms to satellites
The practical uses of Bindra’s chips go far beyond phones and laptops. He has helped design chips for satellites, radar systems in cars, and even agriculture. One project, called Plantenna, demonstrated prototype based on radar sensors to measure the moisture in plant leaves; a potential game-changer for farmers and greenhouse growers. “Imagine a handheld scanner that can tell which fruit is about to rot just by checking water content,” he says.
Plantenna is working on tiny, energy-efficient sensors that can be placed directly on or near plants to measure things like temperature, air pressure, and moisture levels. These sensors communicate wirelessly and run on harvested energy, meaning they can operate autonomously for long periods without batteries. The aim is to give farmers and researchers real-time insight into plant health and growing conditions, thereby supporting smarter irrigation, higher yields, and more sustainable agriculture.
Chips and geopolitics
Bindra's work also reflects a bigger picture: chip technology has become a national priority for many countries, including the Netherlands. The focus has shifted: it is no longer just innovation, but also strategic independence and security. Designing your own chips means not having to rely on global supply chains, especially in times of geopolitical tension.
In exploring collaboration with Dutch and Indian institutions, Bindra is helping shape international partnerships to boost chip research and education. He was part of the Dutch Innovation mission that visited Indian academic, government and semiconductor industry with an aim to explore mutual areas of co-operation and chip design emerged as an area of mutual interest with complementary expertise on either side. “It is a global effort, and we need to find partners that align”, he explains. At the core, academia plays a big role in creating a talent pool. “We are applying everything we have learned at MBO, HBO, and university levels to make better chips, together.”
More devices, more data, more demand. But also, hopefully, more sustainable and efficient technology. Bindra believes chip technology is still at the beginning of its rise. “It has just arrived,” he says.
And with researchers like Bindra at the helm, the future of chips and the world they enable looks smaller, smarter, and cooler.
