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

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发由工程磁电（ME）材料组成的微机电系统（MEMS），以实现医疗植入物的无线电力传输系统。工程ME材料是磁致伸缩（M）和电活性（E）组件的复合材料，其将磁场转化为电压的效率比天然ME高得多。现有的无线电力技术依赖于线圈将通常处于射频的时间依赖性磁场转换为有用的电力。散装ME接收器，虽然还没有优化，显示出越来越多的灵敏度优势，可比的大小，高磁导率线圈接收器的频率和/或设备尺寸减小。设计了一系列几十个通用MEMS谐振器（不同尺寸和纵横比的杠杆、桥、板），这些谐振器具有在单晶衬底上生长的高Q、外延压电膜。新计划的第一阶段包括表征压电MEMS衬底的机械完整性和谐振特性。 选定的器件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器件。将对这些器械进行包装，并在不同频率和场强下测试每单位磁场的接收功率。 将对数据进行分析，并与散装ME和线圈器械的数据进行比较。 该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力应远远超出为植入式医疗器械开发更小、更高效的无线供电系统。高性能ME无线功率接收器尚未在MEMS规模上制造。该研究计划将开发新的薄膜处理技术，用于沉积高Q非晶磁性薄膜和CMOS兼容的压电薄膜，这将影响许多技术市场，包括磁和/或声传感器，能够在阻碍传统无线电传输的环境中运行的通信系统，以及可能的智能电子系统的新多功能组件。ME-MEMS接收器的成功开发将使各种工程ME设备成为可能，例如：i）磁力计，其在灵敏度上可以与SQUID磁力计竞争，同时消耗少得多的功率并且在室温而不是L-He温度下操作，ii）用于在RF系统失效的高吸收环境中的低频通信的系统; iii）磁性和电活性薄膜共沉积的先进工艺，实现多功能ME-MEMS器件的新应用。

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.