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

SBIR 第一阶段：用于二维电子扫描天线的微机电 (MEMS) 移相器

• 批准号: 0539532
• 负责人: Robert Knox
• 金额: $ 9.89万
• 依托单位: Epsilon Lambda Electronics Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-01-01 至 2006-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0539532&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Microelectromechanical; MEMS; Shifter

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.

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操纵相控阵天线。多年来，人们一直在寻找一种能够在两个平面上进行电子扫描的相控阵天线，这样通信和雷达天线就可以非常灵活和低成本。这种天线的关键障碍是通常用于执行波束控制的大型、昂贵且耗电的移相器。该提议描述了使用基于微机电（MEMS）的模拟无源移相器，其以完全新颖的方式实现，使得可以独立地完成两个平面中的电子束转向。MEMS可移动膜装置用作位于天线馈线上的分布可变模拟型移相器。这与使用半导体或MEMS开关在不同长度的若干传输线中进行选择以改变相位长度（以数字增量）的经典方法形成对比。如果成功的话，这种方法的优点包括相移和光束扫描的更高分辨率，更小的尺寸和更低的插入损耗。该项目的成功结果将允许在RF频率，特别是毫米波频率的天线效率的快速提高。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移相器的科学和技术进步将增强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、隐藏武器检测和入侵检测的现有设备都将受益于一种低成本技术，并提高天线性能，同时降低尺寸和成本。这项技术还将为开发新的先进技术开辟道路，包括汽车真正的碰撞警告。