SBIR Phase I: Integration of Radio Front End Using Radio Frequency Micro-electro-Mechanical Systems

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将研究无线便携式设备的射频（RF）电子技术的突破性改进，包括蜂窝电话和无线局域网（LAN）元件。重点是无线电收发器，或“前端”电路：无线设备的这一部分首先从天线接收信号，或最终将信号发送到天线进行传输。这个项目很重要，因为无线设备的性能和实用性的改进速度受到小型化和某些组件（如电感器、电容器和滤波器）与其他微电子器件相结合的困难的阻碍。该项目的目标将通过将微机电系统（MEMS）器件与射频电路以协同方式相结合来实现。新颖之处在于单片构建带有微线圈的超低损耗RF MEMS开关，以产生电子可重构的高Q电感器，从而实现频率敏捷器件。此外，该项目将包括设计更复杂的MEMSplus射频器件组合，后者包括可变电容器和有源电路元件，以探索更大的实现可能性。需要在微加工技术和器件设计方面进行重大创新，涵盖MEMS和非MEMS元件。这项技术将被大批量零部件制造合作伙伴和手机生产商使用。这将使该项目产生的解决方案以低成本在商业上广泛可用。成功的实现将对下一代无线手持设备的降低成本、增加功能和增加数据处理能力产生广泛而重要的影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)Phase I project will investigate breakthrough improvements in radio frequency (RF) electronics for wireless portable devices, including cellular telephones and wireless local area network (LAN) elements. The focus is on the radio transceiver, or "front-end," circuitry: that portion of the wireless device that first receives signals from the antenna, or finally sends them to the antenna for transmission. This project is important because the rate of improvement in the performance and usefulness of wireless devices is hindered by difficulty in miniaturizing and combining certain components (like inductors, capacitors, and filters) with other microelectronics. The project goal will be achieved by combining micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices with RF circuitry in synergistic ways. The novelty lies in monolithically building ultra low-loss RF MEMS switches with microcoils, to yield electronically reconfigurable, high Q inductors, and thereby enable frequency-agile devices. Additionally, the project will include design of more complex MEMSplus RF-device combinations, the latter including variable capacitors and active circuit elements, to explore greater implementation possibilities. Significant innovation in microfabrication technology and device design will be required, covering both MEMS and non-MEMS elements.This technology will be used by high volume component manufacturing partners and cell phone producers. This will make the solutions emerging from this project broadly available commercially, at low cost. A successful implementation will have a broad, important impact on reducing cost, increasing functionality, and increasingly the data handling capacity of next generation wireless handheld devices.