SBIR Phase II: Energy Storage, Electrical Distribution, and Packaging for Wireless Sensor Networks

小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目的目标是开发一种构建无线传感器基础设施的新方法。能量存储系统、配电系统和封装系统——这些都可以使无线传感器节点大幅小型化，消除了对其形状的大部分限制，并且对环境友好。实现这些目标需要开发创新的方法来制造中尺度电子电路和薄膜储能电池。将利用基于激光的方法在电子工业中常用的各种有机和无机材料中制作非常精细的特征导体图案，过孔和机械结构。新的电池化学也将被细化，以允许制造微型、柔性、薄膜电池，其能量存储密度大大超过目前市场上任何电池。这些创新将使无线传感设备的体积减少近一个数量级。该项目中开发的激光处理和电池技术的结合将为几乎任何无线传感器的小型化提供一种方法，这种方法很容易适应大多数传感器设计。这个项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将在日常生活的许多领域发现。经过长时间的孵化期，无线传感网络正在经历市场增长的激增。预计2019年将有超过1亿个传感器节点的市场机会。潜在的应用领域包括桥梁、道路和管道的基础设施监控、建筑物的照明和暖通空调控制、电力计量、停车管理、病人监控、老年人护理、地震传感器、工业过程控制、农田用水管理和家庭自动化。仅在医疗保健领域，无线传感器网络就有可能在全球范围内节省约250亿美元。许多潜在应用的可行性将受到具有合适形状因素的小型化传感器节点的可用性的强烈影响，这些传感器节点可以在不需要维护的情况下长时间运行。该项目以小型化和电源为目标，解决了传感器网络实现中的关键历史瓶颈。它将对这些大型发展中市场以及医疗和消费电子产品的附带应用产生重大影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II Project targets development of a new approachto building wireless sensor infrastructure ? energy storage systems, electrical distribution, andpackaging - that allows dramatic miniaturization of wireless sensor nodes, eliminates mostrestrictions on their shape and is environmentally-friendly. Accomplishing these goals requiresdevelopment of innovative new approaches to fabrication of mesoscale electronic circuitry andthin film energy storage batteries. Laser-based approaches to making very fine featureconductor patterns, vias, and mechanical structures in a variety of organic and inorganic materialscommonly used in the electronics industry will be utilized. New battery chemistry will also berefined to allow fabrication of miniature, flexible, thin film batteries with energy storage densitiessubstantially exceeding those of any battery currently on the market. Together these innovationswill allow nearly an order of magnitude reduction in volume of wireless sensing devices.Combination of the laser processing and battery technologies developed in this project will offeran approach to miniaturization of almost any wireless sensor that is easily adaptable to mostsensor designs.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be found in many areas of everydaylife. After an extended incubation period, wireless sensing networks are experiencing a surge ofmarket growth. A market opportunity for more than 100 million sensor nodes is projected for2019. Potential applications come from areas as diverse as infrastructure monitoring for bridges,roadways and pipelines, lighting and HVAC control in buildings, electrical metering, parkingmanagement, patient monitoring, elderly care, seismic sensors, industrial process control, cropwater management, and home automation. In the health care area alone, wireless sensor networkscould potentially produce and estimated $25 billion savings world wide. Feasibility of manypotential applications will be strongly influenced by the availability of miniaturized sensor nodeswith suitable form factors that can be operated without maintenance for extended periods.Targeting miniaturization and power sources, the proposed project addresses and solves keyhistorical bottlenecks in sensor network implementation. It will have a significant impact onthese large developing markets, as well as spin-off applications in medical and consumerelectronics.