Collaborative Research: Microfluidic Mm-Wave RF Devices with Integrated Actuation

合作研究：具有集成驱动的微流控毫米波射频器件

• 批准号: 1920953
• 负责人: Nathan Crane
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: Brigham Young University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1920953&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Microfluidic; Mm; Wave

Nontechnical:Wireless technology has traditionally used radio waves to transmit and receive data. High data rate demands driven by mobile communications are being addressed by emerging wireless communication systems. These use new frequency bands such as mm-wave (THz) where a large frequency spectrum is available. Wireless communication in mm-wave bands, however, faces challenges such as reductions in signal strength with distance and blockage or reflection of signals. These challenges drive the development of new antennas and devices that can maximize the signal strength with high efficiency and rapidly adapt their operation. This project focuses on an innovative microfluidic based approach to enable such mm-wave antennas and devices with reduced cost and enhanced efficiency. These novel devices will be enabled by integrated compact actuation mechanisms. Advances from this project can immediately benefit wireless communication as well as emerging mm-wave applications such as identification tags and smart appliances. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is expected to offer unique training and research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. The PIs will develop new curriculum content that focuses on problems faced by engineers working on interdisciplinary projects. The project also plans to expand research opportunities for high-school students and students from underrepresented minorities.Technical:Microfluidic reconfiguration techniques have drawn interest to address efficiency, tunability, and power handling issues of reconfigurable radio-frequency (RF) devices. Unfortunately, the majority of the proposed devices cannot operate in mm-wave bands due to the challenges in manufacturing, RF modeling, and utilization of liquid metals exhibiting lower conductivities and oxidization issues. This project focuses on a more recent microfluidic reconfiguration technique that is suitable for mm-wave band operation due to its reliance on selectively metallized plates (SMPs) repositionable within microfluidic channels. The major goal is to integrate novel actuation mechanisms with the SMP based microfluidic devices and enable their practical operation in mm-wave frequencies to achieve superior performances in efficiency, tunability, and power handling. Two distinct actuation mechanisms based on piezoelectric disks and electrowetting (EW) will be investigated to allow discovery of a broad range of capabilities. Through refinement of fabrication methods, flow characterizations, and RF design; the piezoelectric actuation will be optimized to achieve maximum RF reconfiguration speed. EW-based actuation will create a microfluidic linear stepper motor for addressing the high precision motion requirements. The trade-offs in plate alignment accuracy, selection of liquids, device geometry and RF performance will be investigated to establish the fundamental design and fabrication guidelines. In the RF design domain, the project will introduce novel capabilities by modeling the motion-dependent RF parasitics of SMPs. The proposed actuation and modeling methods are applicable for a large class of mm-wave devices. This three-year program is particularly tailored for addressing the challenging needs imposed by the mm-wave beam-steering antenna arrays. The program aims to investigate novel switches, phase shifters, and beamforming networks by addressing their design (i.e. RF parasitics modeling, size reduction, high efficiency, power handling) and actuation aspects (integration, resilience to vibration and impact, lifetime, speed).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

非技术：无线技术传统上使用无线电波来传输和接收数据。新兴无线通信系统正在解决由移动通信驱动的高数据速率要求。这些使用新的频带，例如MM-Wave（THZ），其中有大量频谱。但是，MM波段中的无线通信面临挑战，例如信号强度的降低，距离和信号的阻塞或反射。这些挑战推动了新天线和设备的开发，这些天线和设备可以以高效率最大化信号强度并迅速适应其运行。该项目着重于一种创新的基于微流体的方法，以启用其成本降低和提高效率的MM波天线和设备。这些新颖的设备将通过集成的紧凑式致动机制启用。该项目的进步可以立即使无线通信以及新兴的MM波应用程序（例如标识标签和智能设备）受益。该计划的跨学科性质有望为研究生和本科生提供独特的培训和研究机会。 PI将开发新的课程内容，重点关注从事跨学科项目的工程师所面临的问题。该项目还计划扩大高中生和学生从代表性不足的少数群体中扩大研究机会。技术：微流体重新配置技术引起了人们的兴趣，以解决可重新配置的可重新配置射门射击（RF）设备的效率，可调节性和电力处理问题。不幸的是，由于制造，RF建模和利用液体金属的挑战，大多数提议的设备无法在MM波段中运行，这些液体金属表现出较低的电导率和氧化问题。该项目的重点是最新的微流体重新配置技术，该技术适用于MM波段操作，因为它依赖于可在微流体通道中可重新定位的选择性金属化板（SMP）。主要目标是将新型的致动机制与基于SMP的微流体设备相结合，并使他们在MM波频率中的实际操作以在效率，可调性和功率处理方面实现出色的性能。将研究基于压电磁盘和电动表（EW）的两种不同的致动机制，以允许发现广泛的功能。通过改进制造方法，流动性特征和RF设计；将优化压电驱动以达到最大的RF重新配置速度。基于EW的致动将创建一个微流体线性步进电机，以满足高精度运动要求。将研究板对齐精度，液体选择，设备几何形状和RF性能的权衡，以建立基本的设计和制造准则。在RF设计域中，该项目将通过对SMP的运动依赖性RF寄生虫进行建模来引入新功能。提出的驱动和建模方法适用于大型MM波器设备。这个为期三年的计划尤其是为了满足MM-Wave Beam-Steerering天线阵列所施加的挑战需求而定制的。 The program aims to investigate novel switches, phase shifters, and beamforming networks by addressing their design (i.e. RF parasitics modeling, size reduction, high efficiency, power handling) and actuation aspects (integration, resilience to vibration and impact, lifetime, speed).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review 标准。