This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is directed towards making devices that take advantage of ferroelectric's properties and overcome the current roadblocks in the way of commercializing ferroelectric devices. MicroCoating Technologies (MCT) proposes a novel concept that would enable ferroelectric based capacitors to be integrated with transistor technology. Ferroelectric devices have potential for applications such as tunable capacitors, phase shifters, and others. If MCT succeeds in its product plan, it would enable a smaller, low-noise, high transmission rate microwave devices and components and successfully commercialize ferroelectric devices.
The market for tunable microwave devices continues to grow as the world untethers itself from telephone lines, that is the increasing use of cell phones. An industry leader in wireless technology has expressed significant interest in ferroelectric materials, and has identified a number of areas in a cell phone that would benefit from variable capacitor, for example.