SBIR Phase I: Magneto-electric-MEMs-enabled Wireless Power for Medical Implants

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将开发由工程磁电(ME)材料组成的微型机电系统(MEMS)，以实现医疗植入物的无线能量传输系统。工程ME材料是磁致伸缩(M)和电活性(E)组件的复合材料，可以比天然ME更有效地将磁场转换为电压。现有的无线电力技术依靠线圈将依赖时间的磁场(通常在无线电频率上)转换为有用的电力。散装ME接收器虽然尚未优化，但随着频率和/或器件尺寸的降低，显示出比同等大小、高磁导率线圈接收器更高的灵敏度优势。利用生长在单晶衬底上的高Q外延压电薄膜，设计了一系列几十种通用的MEMS谐振器(悬臂梁、电桥、不同尺寸和长宽比的板)。新计划的第一阶段包括对压电式MEMS基板的机械完整性和共振特性进行表征。用于选定设备的光刻胶掩模将被设计为允许在压电谐振器上沉积M膜，以创建通用的ME-MEMS设备。这些设备将被打包并测试在不同频率和场强下的单位磁场接收功率。将对数据进行分析，并与主体ME和线圈设备的数据进行比较。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力应该远远超出为植入式医疗设备开发更小和更高效的无线电源系统。高性能ME无线功率接收器尚未达到MEMS规模。这项研究计划将开发新的薄膜处理技术，用于在彼此上沉积高Q非晶磁性薄膜和与CMOS兼容的压电膜，这将影响许多技术市场，包括磁性和/或声学传感器、能够在阻碍传统无线电传输的环境中运行的通信系统，以及可能用于智能电子系统的新型多功能元件。ME-MEMS接收器的成功开发将使各种特种ME器件成为可能，例如：i)在灵敏度上可以与SQUID磁强计媲美的磁强计，其功耗低得多，且工作在室温而不是L-何温度下；ii)在射频系统失效的高吸收环境中使用低频通信系统；iii)采用先进的磁膜和电活性薄膜共沉积工艺，使多功能ME-MEMS器件能够实现新的应用。

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase-I project will develop micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) comprised of engineered magneto-electric (ME) materials to enable wireless power transfer systems for medical implants. Engineered ME materials are composites of magnetostrictive (M) and electro-active (E) components that convert magnetic fields into voltages much more efficiently than do natural MEs. Incumbent wireless power technologies rely on coils to convert time-dependent magnetic fields, generally at radio frequencies, into useful power. Bulk ME receivers, though not yet optimized, show increasing sensitivity advantages over comparable-size, high-permeability coil receivers as frequency and/or device size decreases. A series of several dozen generic MEMS resonators (cantilevers, bridges, plates in different sizes and aspect ratios) were designed with high-Q, epitaxial piezoelectric films grown on single-crystal substrates. Phase I of the new program includes characterizing the mechanical integrity and resonance characteristics of the piezoelectric MEMS substrates. Photo-resist masks for selected devices will be designed to allow deposition of M films on the piezoelectric resonators to create generic ME-MEMS devices. These devices will be packaged and tested for received power-per-unit-magnetic-field at different frequencies and field strengths. Data will be analyzed and compared with that for bulk ME and coil devices. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project should extend well beyond development of smaller and more efficient wireless power systems for implanted medical devices. High-performance ME wireless power receivers have not yet been made at the MEMS scale. This research program will develop new thin film processing techniques for deposition of high Q amorphous magnetic films and CMOS-compatible, piezoelectric films on each other that would impact many technical markets including magnetic and/or acoustic sensors, communications systems capable of operation in environments that hinder conventional radio transmission, and possibly new multifunctional components for intelligent electronic systems. Successful development of ME-MEMS receivers will enable a variety of engineered ME devices, such as: i) magnetometers that could rival SQUID magnetometers in sensitivity while consuming far less power and operating at room temperature rather than L-He temperatures, ii) systems for low-frequency communications in high-absorption environments where RF systems fail; iii) advanced processes for co-deposition of magnetic and electro-active films, enabling new applications of multi-functional ME-MEMS devices.