Personal Statement
Xiyuan Tang
Attracted by the conciseness and grace of analog integrated circuit (IC) design,
as well as the powerful function of digital IC design, I’m eager to further my
study of both in a master’s program which will include study of mixed-signal
design, as this synthesizes elements of the two.
During the learning of Analog IC, I felt I was absorbed in it. I audited EE140 Analog IC Design (an open course at UC-Berkeley). As part of this course, I have
been running simulations in HSPICE to gain familiarity with classic circuit
structures. After learning the basic principles of analog IC design, I practiced it
by designing a two-stage operational amplifier independently, which is
constructed from a constant gm current source, one differential amplifier and
one common source amplifier with current mirror working as active load. The
short channel effect and parasitic capacitance make it impossible to get a
theoretical best (W/L) directly. However, I did introduce pole splitting and
frequency compensation to gain a higher phase margin and stability. This
process taught me much about analog tradeoff design.
From reading recent digests of technical papers from the International
Solid-State Circuits Conference, it appears to me that the cutting edge of circuit
design includes more and more integration of analog and digital parts, such as
continuous digital calibration in pipeline analog-to-digital converters and
self-healing design. With this in mind, digital IC design cannot be neglected
moving forward.
I began my self-study of digital IC in my sophomore year, when I participated in
a research project called Hardware implementation and research of physical
unclonable functions. I taught myself Verilog that summer, and studied this
algorithm. Realizing the unpredictable state of latch caused by setup time, I
changed latches with flip-flop: I coded it in Verilog, simulated in a
field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and verified its effectiveness. My grasp
of architecture design was strengthened when I later took Computer
Organization and Architecture (COA), in which I was required to construct a
pipelined MIPS processor on an FPGA. I simplified the logic of hazard detection
through cancelling the last module. Not only did these projects strengthen my
theoretical grasp of digital IC, they also helped me develop my practical skills
during all hands-on aspects of said projects, including model building, circuit
implementation, Verilog programming, FPGA simulation and debugging.
This sort of background, coupled with my interest in mixed signal, leads me to
my professional goals: to be an IC designer specializing in this field. However, I
recognize that my undergraduate experience has only given broad knowledge,
and that to enter such a specialized and applied field, I ought to continue my
education in the aforementioned specialized and applied field.
At Georgia Tech, I would like to pursue a master’s degree in the School of
Electrical and Computer Engineering. I intend on specializing in Electronic
Design and Application, where courses such as Analog IC Design, Analog
Integrated System and Low Noise Electronic System would strengthen my
knowledge of circuitry and architecture. Courses like Wireless IC Design could
guide me to apply my skills in practical areas.
I want to participate in related projects as well to gain the hands-on experience
that every good engineering student ought to have. I am, predictably,
interested in research projects involving the application of topics such as digital
calibration in analog design, bioelectronics and power management IC. I believe
a two-year program in such a setting will undoubtedly give me the knowledge
and direction necessary to start my career off right, so I say this with utter
sincerity: I am eager to further my studies in the ECE Graduate Department at
Georgia Tech.
List of honors:
Sept.2011: National Scholarship (1%)
Hua Chi Hong Scholarship (10/4000),
Second Prize in China National Undergraduate Electric Design Contest
Sept.2010: Shanghai Scholarship (1/240)
Sept.2009: Second Prize in China Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling
Third Class Scholarship in SJTU (20%)
Extracurricular activities:
Sept. 2009–Sept. 2010: Vice president of Amateur Astronomy Association in SJTU

Co-organized the astronomical observation in Tianhuangping
with other universities and led SJTU team 3 times
 Organized Sidewalk Astronomy Night in SJTU
Jun. 2010:
Organized Youth Ambassador Program for Minorities, Wendou

Contacted local school and government to support this activity
 Investigated on the spot in advance to establish detailed plan