Wireless, RF & Smart Dust

Research that includes:

  • Tuneable RF components: capacitors, inductors, transformers
  • RF microrelays
  • High frequency MEMS resonators: devices, structures, and processes

KSJP23: Steered Agile Laser Transmitter (SALT)

Matthew Last
2004

To develop steered narrow-beam optical communication devices capable of communicating wirelessly between cubic-millimeter autonomous sensing platforms.

Project end date: 01/20/05

APP36: GHz Nano-Mechanical Resonators

Brian Bircumshaw
2004

The objective of this project is to design, fabricate, and demonstrate Nano-Mechanical Resonators (NMRs) with GHz natural frequencies. The Radial Bulk Annular Resonator (RBAR), our newest concept, represents a breakthrough in NMR design. Unlike its contemporaries, the RBAR can be arbitrarily sized for any given frequency. This provides design flexibility and increases the mechanical Q of the RBAR. Most importantly, the arbitrary sizing of the RBAR means tremendous reductions in the device’s equivalent resistance, Req. This leads to drastically reduced insertion loss, lower power...

BEB16: Resonant Drive: Sense and High Voltage Electrostatic Drive Using Single MEMS Electrode

Baris Cagdaser
2004

A new technique for electrostatic drive and sense is developed. The main goal is to simplify the complexity of drive and sense circuitry. The new approach will alleviate the need for high voltage circuitry even in voltage demanding MEMS applications. Since only a single drive capacitor is needed for both drive and sense, resonant drive will also simplify the design of the physical device.

Project end date: 02/03/05

KSJP20: CMOS Imaging Receiver for Free-Space Optical Communication

Chinwuba D. Ezekwe
2004

A 256 element CMOS imaging receiver has been designed to receive low-power, free-space optical transmissions between unmanned aircraft, or other small, low power platforms, at a distance of several kilometers.

Project end date: 02/03/05

RTH39: Post-process of GHz-range SiGe Resonators Over Standard RF CMOS Circuitry for Transceiver Applications

Emmanuel Quevy
2005

While MEMS resonators are about to demonstrate their potential for future transceiver architectures, the need for low parasitics low power performances implies shrinkage towards fully integrated systems. The preliminary goal of this project is to provide access to a post-process scheme of SiGe structures that enables integration of GHz resonators with Deep-Submicron CMOS RF ICs available from commercial vendor.

Project end date: 08/31/05

RTH44: Self-Healing RF MEMS Switch

Rishi Kant
2005

The objective of this project is to create an RF MEMS switch with the capability of self-healing in order to perform hot switching of large currents. Traditional electrostatic actuation is used for closing the switch. Liquid Gallium is used for making contact thus alleviating the problem of thermal and mechanical deformation due to hot switching. The liquid droplets are confined to a distinctive pattern by exploiting the different wetting affinities that gallium has to different materials. Thermally vaporized gallium is reclaimed during the closing of the switch. The benefits derived...

NT24: High-Performance MEMS Capacitors

Dan McCormick
Ming Li
2005

A set of MEMS based variable capacitors will be designed, fabricated, characterized and integrated into QUASAR’s free-space capacitive EEG sensor for ultra-sensitive charge measurement.

Project end date: 08/31/05

KSJP32: Incremental Network Programming

Jaein Jeong
2005

We present an incremental network programming mechanism which reprograms wireless sensors quickly by transmitting the incremental changes for the new program version.

Project end date: 09/08/05

APP62: Piezoelectric Aluminum Nitride Vibrating RF MEMS for Radio Front-End

Gianluca Piazza
2005

The demand of consumer electronics for RF filters and frequency reference elements has focused attention on the reduction of size, power consumption and price and pushed current research interests towards the manufacturing of a single-chip, integrated RF solution. Vibrating contour-mode MEMS resonators constitute the most promising technology for ultimately realizing this vision. This project deals with analytical and experimental results on a new class of contour-mode aluminum nitride piezoelectric resonators. The realization of contour mode shapes in piezoelectric resonators,...

BPN305: Post-processing heat treatment of thin film Aluminum Nitride

David Park
2005

Piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN) is a promising material for sensor and wireless communication technology. Some industry applications today include acoustic wave sensors, chemical sensors, and high frequency devices. It is a high thermal conductive material with high acoustic velocity and is not only resistant to humidity and high temperatures but also to wafer processing gases and plasma erosion, making it suitable to use as a thin film. Proper management of stress in the film is necessary to prolong the life of the microstructures and keep the devices fabricated from these...