Collaborative Research: Microfluidic Mm-Wave RF Devices with Integrated Actuation

合作研究：具有集成驱动的微流控毫米波射频器件

• 批准号: 1920926
• 负责人: Gokhan Mumcu
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: University of South Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1920926&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Microfluidic; Mm; Wave

Nontechnical:Wireless technology has traditionally used radio waves to transmit and receive data. High data rate demands driven by mobile communications are being addressed by emerging wireless communication systems operating at new frequency bands. A large frequency spectrum is available at terahertz (THz) frequencies, also known as mm-wave. However, mm-wave systems face challenges such as reduction in signal strength with distance or blockage and reflection of signals. These challenges drive the development of new antennas and devices that can maximize the signal strength with high efficiency and rapidly adapt their operation. This project focuses on an innovative microfluidic based approach to enable such mm-wave antennas and devices with reduced cost and enhanced efficiency. These novel devices will be enabled by integrated compact actuation mechanisms. Advances from this project can immediately benefit wireless communication as well as emerging mm-wave applications such as identification tags and smart appliances. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is expected to offer unique training and research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. The PIs will develop new curriculum content that focuses on problems faced by engineers working on interdisciplinary projects. The project also plans to expand research opportunities for high-school students and students from underrepresented minorities.Technical:Microfluidic reconfiguration techniques have drawn interest to address efficiency, tunability, and power handling issues of reconfigurable radio-frequency (RF) devices. Unfortunately, the majority of the proposed devices cannot operate in mm-wave bands due to the challenges in manufacturing, RF modeling, and utilization of liquid metals exhibiting lower conductivities and oxidization issues. This project focuses on a more recent microfluidic reconfiguration technique that is suitable for mm-wave band operation due to its reliance on selectively metallized plates (SMPs) repositionable within microfluidic channels. The major goal is to integrate novel actuation mechanisms with the SMP based microfluidic devices and enable their practical operation in mm-wave frequencies to achieve superior performances in efficiency, tunability, and power handling. Two distinct actuation mechanisms based on piezoelectric disks and electrowetting (EW) will be investigated to allow discovery of a broad range of capabilities. Through refinement of fabrication methods, flow characterizations, and RF design; the piezoelectric actuation will be optimized to achieve maximum RF reconfiguration speed. EW-based actuation will create a microfluidic linear stepper motor for addressing the high precision motion requirements. The trade-offs in plate alignment accuracy, selection of liquids, device geometry and RF performance will be investigated to establish the fundamental design and fabrication guidelines. In the RF design domain, the project will introduce novel capabilities by modeling the motion-dependent RF parasitics of SMPs. The proposed actuation and modeling methods are applicable for a large class of mm-wave devices. This three-year program is particularly tailored for addressing the challenging needs imposed by the mm-wave beam-steering antenna arrays. The program aims to investigate novel switches, phase shifters, and beamforming networks by addressing their design (i.e. RF parasitics modeling, size reduction, high efficiency, power handling) and actuation aspects (integration, resilience to vibration and impact, lifetime, speed).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

非技术：无线技术传统上使用无线电波来传输和接收数据。在新的频带上运行的新兴无线通信系统正在解决由移动通信驱动的高数据速率需求。在太赫兹（THz）频率，也被称为毫米波，有一个大的频谱可用。然而，毫米波系统面临着诸如信号强度随距离降低或信号阻塞和反射等挑战。这些挑战推动了新型天线和设备的发展，这些天线和设备能够以高效率最大化信号强度并快速适应其操作。该项目专注于一种基于微流体的创新方法，以降低成本和提高效率来实现这种毫米波天线和设备。这些新颖的装置将由集成的紧凑驱动机构实现。该项目的进展可以立即使无线通信以及识别标签和智能家电等新兴毫米波应用受益。该计划的跨学科性质预计将为研究生和本科生提供独特的培训和研究机会。pi将开发新的课程内容，重点关注从事跨学科项目的工程师所面临的问题。该项目还计划扩大高中生和少数族裔学生的研究机会。技术：微流体重构技术已经引起了人们的兴趣，以解决可重构射频（RF）设备的效率、可调性和功率处理问题。不幸的是，由于制造、射频建模和使用具有较低电导率和氧化问题的液态金属方面的挑战，大多数提出的设备无法在毫米波频段工作。该项目侧重于一种最新的微流控重构技术，该技术适用于毫米波波段操作，因为它依赖于微流控通道内可重新定位的选择性金属化板（SMPs）。主要目标是将新型驱动机构与基于SMP的微流体装置集成在一起，并使其在毫米波频率下实际运行，以实现效率，可调性和功率处理方面的卓越性能。将研究基于压电盘和电润湿（EW）的两种不同的驱动机制，以发现广泛的功能。通过改进制造方法、流动特性和射频设计；压电驱动将被优化以实现最大的射频重构速度。基于ew的驱动将创建一个微流体线性步进电机，以满足高精度的运动要求。将研究板对准精度、液体选择、器件几何形状和射频性能方面的权衡，以建立基本的设计和制造指南。在射频设计领域，该项目将通过对smp的运动相关射频寄生进行建模来引入新的功能。所提出的驱动和建模方法适用于大类别的毫米波器件。这个为期三年的项目是专门为解决毫米波波束导向天线阵列所带来的挑战性需求而量身定制的。该项目旨在研究新型开关、移相器和波束形成网络，解决它们的设计（即射频寄生建模、尺寸减小、高效率、功率处理）和驱动（集成、抗振动和冲击、寿命、速度）方面的问题。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Mm-Wave Frequency Reconfigurable Antenna with Multilayer Integrated Microfluidic Actuation

具有多层集成微流体驱动的毫米波频率可重构天线

• DOI: 10.1109/ieeeconf35879.2020.9329955
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: 2020 IEEE International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation and North American Radio Science Meeting
• 作者: Mendoza, J.;Mumcu, G.
• 通讯作者: Mumcu, G.

Frequency and Bandwidth Tunable mm-Wave Hairpin Bandpass Filters Using Microfluidic Reconfiguration With Integrated Actuation

• DOI: 10.1109/tmtt.2020.3006869
• 发表时间: 2020-07
• 期刊: IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
• 影响因子: 4.3
• 作者: Enrique González-Carvajal;G. Mumcu

Microfluidically Reconfigurable mm-Wave Slow Wave Phase Shifter With Integrated Actuation

• DOI: 10.1109/lmwc.2022.3193693
• 发表时间: 2022-12
• 期刊: IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters
• 影响因子: 3
• 作者: J. Mendoza;G. Mumcu