This project supports a collaborative research between Dr. Mona Zaghloul, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC and Dr. Amal Mohamed, Electronic Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt. They plan to do research on the design and fabrication of RF-SAW sensors using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology for wireless applications.
Intellectual Merits: This project focuses on designing and fabrication of microelectromechanical (MEMS) components for miniaturized RF wireless applications. The main target will be enabling a new class of low-power, low -cost, and high - performance of miniature RF MEMS devices, which offer significant space and time saving by replacing the off-chip passive components used in the current transceiver circuits. This work will focus on the realization of RF-MEMS components on CMOS substrate that are suitable for integration for mobile and wireless communication system applications. In addition for their potential for integration and miniaturization, a goal will be to design low power and high Q devices integrated with CMOS circuits, and to develop specific types of devices that will be integrated on the same substrate as Receiver/Transceiver. The first task is to review the status and prospects for high- Q, low power devices produced by the MEMS technology to identify their applications in wireless communication. Examples of devices are Variable Capacitors, High Q Inductors, and Surface Acoustic Wave devices (Resonators and Filters) that are recently being developed on CMOS substrate. The integration of those devices with the control circuits on a monolithic substrate will be addressed in view of modified process and new materials to allow for integration. The next stage is the fabrication stage to produce a complete monolithic RF circuit with MEMS components on the same chip using combatable CMOS technology. Finally, the characterization and testing of the produced MEMS devices to assure the robustness and functionality on RF application will be done.
Broader Impacts: The collaboration is to focus on the development of the microsystem technology, which involves design, modeling, and fabrication of micro-sensor and actuator in concert with different applications. The design and the simulation of the proposed system will be carried out by the Egyptian team, while the U.S. team will lead the effort in fabricating the designed MEMS components in the fabrication facility, and in the evaluation and testing of the prototype chip. Junior scientists and graduate students on both sides will participate in the project. This collaboration will help both of U.S and Egypt in establishing the new technology of micromachining in our institutes. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.
