CAREER: Microfluidically Loaded Highly Reconfigurable Compact RF Devices

职业：微流体负载的高度可重构紧凑型射频设备

基本信息

批准号：
1351557
负责人：
Gokhan Mumcu
金额：
$ 40万
依托单位：
University of South Florida
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2014
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2014-01-01 至 2019-12-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1351557&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
CAREER Microfluidically Loaded Highly Reconfigurable

项目摘要

CAREER: Microfluidically Loaded Highly Reconfigurable Compact RF DevicesIntellectual Merits: This CAREER effort investigates the interdisciplinary concept of microfluidically loaded reconfigurability within the context of RF antennas, filters, and imaging systems. These devices operate based on a new technique that relies on continuously movable microfluidic loads consisting of metal (liquid/solid) and dielectric solution volumes. Different than the recent work that relied on fluidic tubes and one-time reconfigurability, the proposed integrated microfluidic channel realizations with thin insulator walls truly allows for maximizing the parasitic loading based reconfigurability offered by the liquid volumes. The proposed effort investigates both flexible soft substrate device realizations and rigid hard substrate implementations to provide superior reconfigurability performances in terms of frequency tunability, agility, power handling, size, and speed. The project also envisions a novel microfluidic based reconfigurability approach based on employing metalized quartz pieces within the microfluidic channels. This constitutes a major deviation from existing approach of utilizing liquid metals and paves the way for low-cost non-toxic highly reconfigurable microfluidically loaded RF components. Systematic studies are planned to characterize and improve the reliability of the proposed devices under certain mechanical impact and stress conditions in order to advance the state of microfluidically reconfigured devices from simplistic conceptual laboratory prototype demonstrations to the system level integrations. Broader Impacts:There is currently a strong need for low cost, easy to use, mm and sub-mm wave imaging/radar technologies. Next generation satellite, ground-to-air, air-to-air communications and radar technologies will demand easy-to-use low-cost highly reconfigurable and self-adapting RF front-ends. The power handling capability of reconfigurable compact filters have historically been an important challenge, and the proposed effort holds promise to alleviate these concerns. The proposed reconfigurable devices and imaging systems, if successful, hold potential to transform such technologies from complicated military platforms, luxury cars, expensive devices, and specialized hospitals into general use to benefit the society. The educational plan is centered on providing learning opportunities by leveraging unique partnerships with Florida Advance Technological Education Center (FL-ATE) and NSF Florida-George Louis Strokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP). An important contribution will be the initiation of a 3D visualization centric electromagnetic theory education by utilizing USF's recently established Advanced Visualization Center (AVC). The 3D visualizations and interdisciplinary nature of the project will be used to support outreach activities with elementary and high schools.

职业：微能加载高度可重新配置的紧凑型RF设备的优点：这项职业工作调查了在RF天线，过滤器和成像系统的背景下，微量富集的可重新配置的跨学科概念。这些设备基于一种依赖于由金属（液体/固体）和介电溶液量组成的新技术运行，该技术依赖于连续可移动的微流体载荷。与最近依赖流体管和一次性重构性的工作不同，拟议的具有薄绝缘壁的集成微流体通道实现确实可以最大程度地提高液体量提供的基于寄生载荷的可重构性。拟议的工作调查了灵活的软底物设备实现和刚性硬基板实现，以在频率可调性，敏捷性，功率处理，大小和速度方面提供出色的可重构性能。该项目还设想了一种基于微流体基于微流体通道中的金属化石英片的新型基于微流体的可重构性方法。这构成了现有的使用液体金属的方法的重大偏差，并为低成本的无毒高度重新配置的微流体负载的RF组件铺平了道路。计划在某些机械影响和应力条件下表征和提高所提出的设备的可靠性，以将微流体重新配置的设备从简单概念性实验室原型演示转向系统级集成。更广泛的影响：目前非常需要低成本，易于使用，MM和Sub-MM Wave成像/雷达技术。下一代卫星，地面，空对空气通信和雷达技术将要求易于使用的低成本高成本可重新配置和自我适应的RF前端。从历史上看，可重新配置的紧凑型过滤器的功能处理能力一直是一个重要的挑战，拟议的努力有望减轻这些担忧。拟议的可重新配置设备和成像系统（如果成功）有可能从复杂的军事平台，豪华汽车，昂贵的设备和专业医院转变为一般用途，以使社会受益。该教育计划以与佛罗里达州的高级技术教育中心（FL-ATE）和NSF佛罗里达 - 乔治·路易斯·路易斯·斯特罗克斯联盟（FGLSAMP）的独特伙伴关系（FGLSAMP）来利用独特的合作伙伴关系来提供学习机会。一个重要的贡献将是通过使用USF最近建立的高级可视化中心（AVC）来启动3D可视化中心电磁理论教育。该项目的3D可视化和跨学科性质将用于支持与小学和高中的外展活动。