SBIR Phase II: Low-Cost High Efficiency Gallium-Nitride RFIC-PAs

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目的更广泛影响将有助于提高美国在基于半导体的产品方面的竞争力，同时还将加强国防，并将下一代无线通信基础设施设备的电力需求降至最低。该项目将通过一家领先的美国半导体代工厂开发最先进的射频集成电路功率放大器(RFIC-PA)、混频器和开关。这些创新的电路将有助于美国S 5G通信基础设施的现代化，同时恢复中国在基于半导体的技术方面的突出地位。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目将显著提高RFIC-PA技术的输出功率和效率，超过目前/竞争最先进的产品。RFIC-PA是新兴的5G宏基站和小型蜂窝基站及其连接的无线设备中最庞大、最昂贵和最耗电的组件。因此，该项目将在NSF第二阶段项目结束时，将处于高效率RFIC设计技术前沿的创新RFIC-PA设计方法应用于五种有区别的RFIC-PA产品的设计、制造、测试和商业化。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will contribute to the advancement of the US’s competitiveness in Semiconductor based products, while also enhancing the national defense and minimizing the electricity requirements of next-generation wireless communications infrastructure equipment. This project will develop state-of-the-art Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuit Power Amplifiers (RFIC-PA), Mixers, and Switches through a leading U.S.-based semiconductor foundry. These innovated circuits will contribute to modernizing the U.S.’s 5G communications infrastructure while restoring the country’s prominence in semiconductor-based technologies. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will significantly enhance the output power and efficiency of RFIC-PA technologies over the present-day/competing state-of-the-art products. The RFIC-PA is the most voluminous, costly, and power consumptive component of emerging 5G macro and small cellular base stations, and the wireless devices connected to them. For this reason, this project will apply innovative RFIC-PA design methods at the very forefront of high-efficiency RFIC design techniques toward the design, fabrication, test, and commercialization of five discriminating RFIC-PA products at the conclusion of this NSF Phase-2 project.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.