SBIR Phase I: Microelectromechanical (MEMS) Phase Shifter for 2-D Electronically Scanned Antenna

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发一种高效、低成本的电子控制相控阵天线。多年来，人们一直在寻求一种能够在两个平面上进行电子扫描的相控阵天线，从而使通信和雷达天线变得非常灵活和低成本。这种天线的主要障碍是通常用于执行波束转向的大型、昂贵和耗电的移相器。该提案描述了以一种全新的方式实现的基于微机电（MEMS）的模拟无源移相器的使用，从而可以独立完成两个平面上的电子束转向。该MEMS可动膜装置作为分布变量模拟型移相器安装在天线馈线上。这与使用半导体或MEMS开关在几条不同长度的传输线中选择改变相位长度（以数字增量）的经典方法形成对比。如果成功，该方法的优点包括相移和波束扫描分辨率更高，尺寸更小，插入损耗更低。该项目的成功成果将使天线在射频频率，特别是毫米波频率上的效率迅速提高。这将允许广泛的国防部和商业市场（汽车安全）在性能、成本和尺寸方面改进现有产品，并允许目前无法获得的先进产品。MEMS移相器的科学技术进步将提高天线和天线系统社区的知识。用于安全卫星通信、导弹防御、无人驾驶车辆、隐藏武器探测、入侵探测的现有设备都将受益于一项低成本技术，该技术可以提高天线性能，同时还可以减小尺寸和成本。拟议中的技术还将为开发新的先进技术开辟道路，包括真正的汽车碰撞预警。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a Highly Efficient Low Cost electronically steered phased array antenna. Sought for many years has been a phased array antenna capable of electronic scanning in two planes so that communication and radar antennas could be very agile and low cost. The key barrier to such an antenna is the large, costly and power-hungry phase shifter typically used to perform beam steering. This proposal describes the use of microelectromechanical (MEMS) based analog passive phase shifters implemented in a completely novel fashion such that electronic beam steering in two planes can be independently accomplished. The MEMS movable membrane device is used as a distributed variable analog type phase shifter located on the antenna feed line. This is in contrast to the classical method to use a semiconductor or MEMS switch to select among several transmission lines of different length to change the phase length (in digital increments). If successful the benefits of this method include higher resolution in phase shift and beam scanning, smaller size and lower insertion loss. Successful outcome of this project will allow rapid improvements in the efficiency of antenna in RF frequencies, especially Millimeter wave frequencies. This will allow a broad array of DOD and commercial markets (automotive safety) to improve existing products in both terms of performance, cost, and size, and allowing for advanced products that currently are not available. The scientific and technology advancements of the MEMS phase shifter will enhance the knowledge of antenna and antenna systems communities. Existing devices for secure satellite communications, missile defenses, unmanned vehicles, hidden weapons detection intrusion detection, will all benefit from a technology that is low cost, and improves antenna performance, while also reducing size and cost. The proposed technology will also open pathways for the development of new, advanced technologies - including true collision warning for automobiles.