An integrated research and education program that is centered on the development of novel RF/microwave MEMS passive components and a method of their integration onto circuit containing substrates is proposed.
Since the demand for wireless communication is ever increasing, very small communication channel spacings are desirable to ensure increased capacity in limited bandwidth. High performance passive elements are key components of wireless communication systems. Traditionally, off-the-chip passive components were used for RF/microwave applications mainly due to their high performance. However, they are bulky and power consuming. MEMS technology enables innovative high performance integrated RF/microwave passive elements that were not possible by traditional technologies. South's only synchrotron radiation source, the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices is located and belongs to the PI's institution. Using such unique facility, high performance novel high aspect ratio RF/microwave passive components will be developed by LIGA and/or LIGA-like techniques. They include 3-D on-chip solenoid inductors, tunable capacitors, microstrip lines, coplanar waveguides. Unconventional high aspect ratio microstructures could yield high quality factor, high coupling efficiency passive components, and 3-D integration which will save precious real estate in many portable wireless communication system applications. Massively parallel passive component transfer techniques using plastic replication techniques will be developed to integrate high performance RF/microwave MEMS passive element modules onto circuit containing substrates in low cost mass production manner. Wafer-level flip-chip assembly technology will also be developed to integrate multiple numbers of high performance RF/microwave components.
The educational component of the proposal is centered on the development of web-based interactive educational materials for MEMS education. Specifically, Java Applets for MEMS fabrication processes and modeling of a variety of MEMS sensors will be developed and they will be disseminated through the internet. Such educational resources will provide active interfaces for students to learn MEMS technology. Development of a senior/graduate laboratory class with collaborators in other departments is also planned. Such class will give students hands-on design and fabrication experience on LIGA and/or LIGA-like MEMS technology for multidisciplinary applications. Development of an industrial short course with collaborators in other departments is also planned to give participants first-hand processing experience on LIGA-based MEMS technology and its applications to RF MEMS and biomedical MEMS (BioMEMS). An extensive use of computer-aided modeling will be introduced to traditional instructional courses in graduate and undergraduate levels to enhance the quality of the classes and prepare the students to meet today's leading edge industrial needs.
