SBIR Phase I: Fabrication Technology of Sub-Micron Liquid Metal Droplet Switch

SBIR第一期：亚微米液态金属液滴开关制造技术

• 批准号: 0638310
• 负责人: Dongyun Lee
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Nano Liquid Devices, Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-01-01 至 2007-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0638310&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Fabrication; Technology; Sub

This Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) project describes a fabrication technology to produce sub-micron liquid metal droplet switches for analog and RF device applications. Using this technology, MEMS switches can be integrated and placed on top of conventional CMOS circuitry isolated by dielectric film. In this technology the size of the switch is restricted by lithography limit, not by metal droplet deposition process which is the case with conventional method. And hence, dense switch matrices can be made and applications of non-silicon based MEMS switches extend to, not only discrete switches, but also to programmable circuits and systems including FPGAs. If successful the miniaturized metal droplet switches will significantly lower operating voltage, possibly reducing it from tens of volts to few volts with faster switching times. Also, environmentally hazardous mercury droplet is replaced by non-toxic gallium alloy. Since gallium alloy is easy to oxidized, use of separation of oxide liquid/gas such as ammonia is proposed. The proposed technology bridges silicon based CMOS VLSI and MEMS technology. By accomplishing the objectives of this proposal the CMOS VLSI technology horizon could be extended beyond "Moore's Law".

这个小型企业创新研究计划（SBIR）项目描述了一种制造技术，可生产用于模拟和RF设备应用的亚微米液体金属液滴开关。使用此技术，可以将MEMS开关集成并放置在通过电介质膜分离的常规CMOS电路上。在这项技术中，开关的大小受到光刻限制的限制，而不是金属液滴沉积过程，而金属液滴沉积过程是常规方法的情况。因此，可以制作密集开关矩阵，而基于非硅的MEMS开关的应用不仅扩展到离散开关，还扩展到包括FPGA在内的可编程电路和系统。如果成功，微型金属液滴开关将显着降低工作电压，可能会将其从数十伏降低到几伏，开关时间更快。同样，环境危险的汞液滴被无毒的镀铝合金取代。由于耐加仑合金易于氧化，因此提出了使用氧化物液体/气体（例如氨）的分离。拟议的技术桥接了硅的CMOS VLSI和MEMS技术。通过实现本提案的目标，CMOS VLSI技术视野可以扩展到“摩尔定律”之外。