STTR Phase I: High Quality Carbon Nanotubes for Radio Frequency Applications

这种小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段的更广泛的影响/商业潜力可以在无线通信的一个非常大的第一市场的半导体行业中找到。由于其非凡的特性，更具体地说，这些器件的线性，这些技术可以通过替换这些部件中使用的晶体管，在无线系统中的低噪声放大器，混频器和功率放大器中找到应用。在移动数据的推动下，到2020年，这样的无线市场预计将达到100亿美元。这些设备的高性能还将从根本上改变当前的性价比模式，从而为当前服务水平的基站节省数十亿美元，并可能加速有线网络的取代。随着技术的成熟，它将取代目前技术中使用的大部分（如果不是全部的话）中等带隙材料。这个小型企业技术转移（STTR）第一阶段项目将使用碳纳米管（CNTs）开发射频（RF）应用的电子设备。高速无线通信的要求要求电子器件具有高线性度。由硅和化合物半导体（如砷化镓）制成的射频器件必须牺牲功率效率才能达到一定的线性规格。碳纳米管是一种直径在纳米级的一维材料。它具有优越的性能，从迁移率到载流能力到热稳定性。计算表明碳纳米管放大器将固有的线性噪声抑制到最低可能的量子限制。这些特性使电子器件的性能优于现有技术，具有高速，低噪声，最重要的是，高线性度。通过改善线性度，可以实现更高的数据速率和更高的功率效率（移动设备的电池使用时间更长）。同样重要的是，制造这种设备的成本将大大降低，因为材料合成和设备制造的方法简单，而且材料的特性允许保留旧的、更便宜的制造工艺。

The broader impacts/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I can be found across the semiconductor industry with a very large first market in wireless communications. Due to their extraordinary properties, more specifically, the linearity of these devices, the technologies can find applications in low noise amplifiers, mixers, and power amplifiers in wireless systems by replacing the transistors used in these parts. Such a wireless market is estimated to be ten(s) billion dollars by 2020 driven by mobile data. The high performance of the devices will also lead to radically change of the current cost-performance paradigm allowing for billions of dollars of savings in base stations for current service levels and likely accelerating the displacement of wireline networks. As the technology matures, it will displace most if not all moderate bandgap materials used in today's technology.This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop electronic devices for radio frequency (RF) application using carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The demanding for high speed wireless communication requires electronic devices with high linearity. RF devices made of silicon and compound semiconductors, such as gallium arsenide, have to sacrifice power efficiency in order to reach certain linearity specification. CNT is a one dimensional material with diameter in nanometer range. It has far superior properties ranging from mobility to current carrying capability to thermal stability. Calculations show CNT amplifiers will be inherently linear with noise suppressed to the lowest possible quantum limit. These properties allow for electronic devices that will performance better than the existing technologies with high speed, low noise, and most importantly, high linearity. With improved linearity, higher data rate and higher power efficiency (longer battery time of the mobile device) can be achieved. As importantly, the cost for making such devices will be dramatically lower because of the simple method for material synthesis and device fabrication and the material's properties allow for older, cheaper fabrication processes to be retained.