EAGER: Processes for Manufacturing High-Performance Magnetic Materials in Electronic Systems

这项探索性研究（EAGER）早期概念补助金的目标是为现代电子系统中使用的磁性元件开发新的制造工艺。目标是提高电源和无线通信设备的可制造性、性能和能源效率，同时减小它们的尺寸和重量。通过这项工作开发的一种新工艺将用于结合两种不同磁性材料的特性，将一种材料的磁性颗粒结合到另一种材料中。结果是一种新的混合磁性材料（即两种材料的复合材料），与现有磁性材料相比，它具有更好的材料性能。从长远来看，这些新的磁性材料旨在实现下一代移动电子、通信系统、机器人和医疗设备。该项目将加强佛罗里达大学（UF）和电子能源公司（EEC）之间的工业/大学研究伙伴关系，并通过交换技术资料和人员交流，为工作中开发的方法和材料的商业测试提供途径。此外，佛罗里达大学的研究生将通过参加EEC的暑期实习来丰富他们对该项目的教育。该项目还旨在扩大女性和少数族裔学生在STEM职业领域的参与和保留。由于缺乏在MHz至GHz频率下同时表现出高饱和度和低损耗的磁性材料，现代电子系统中使用的磁性元件需要在尺寸，功率和效率方面进行折衷。为了克服这一瓶颈，研究人员计划采用一种新的电渗透工艺，将磁性纳米颗粒固结在表面上，并用电镀磁性材料填充颗粒间的间隙。结果是一种两相纳米复合材料，具有潜在的变革性磁性，以及将这些材料集成到各种电子系统中的颠覆性制造技术。从科学的角度来看，电渗透工艺为制造新的纳米复合材料结构提供了一个独特的平台。这使得对交换耦合或纳米颗粒软磁核以及硬（永久）磁性材料的基本探索成为可能。这项工作的长期影响将是可扩展的端到端制造工艺，用于紧凑型磁性器件组件，具有卓越的性能，低制造成本，并与其他电子设备集成。这项为期一年的EAGER项目的具体目标是验证该工艺的可行性，同时开始优化微/纳米制造方法，并阐明这些新型电渗透纳米复合磁性材料的结构/性能/性能关系。

The objective of this EArly-concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award is to develop new manufacturing processes for the magnetic components used in modern electronic systems. The goal is improve the manufacturability, performance, and energy efficiency of power supplies and wireless communication devices, while simultaneously reducing their size and weight. A novel process developed through the work will be used to combine the properties of two different magnetic materials incorporating magnetic particles of one type of material inside of a second material. The result is a new hybrid magnetic material (i.e. a composite of two materials) that exhibits improved material properties compared to existing magnetic materials. In the long run, these new magnetic materials are aimed at enabling next-generation mobile electronics, communication systems, robotics, and medical devices. The project will strengthen an industry/university research partnership between the University of Florida (UF) and Electron Energy Corporation (EEC) and provide a pathway for commercial testing of the methods and materials developed in the work through exchange of technical information and personnel exchanges. In additon, education of UF graduate students on the project will be enriched through their participation in a summer internship at EEC. The project also aims to broaden participation and retention of female and minority students in STEM career fields.Magnetic components used in modern electronic systems require compromising tradeoffs in size, power, and efficiency due to the lack of magnetic materials that simultaneously exhibit high saturation and low loss at MHz to GHz frequencies. To overcome this bottleneck a novel electro-infiltration process is planned, wherein magnetic nanoparticles are consolidated onto a surface, and the inter-particle gaps are filled by an electroplated magnetic material. The result is a two-phase nanocomposite with potentially transformative magnetic properties, along with a disruptive manufacturing technology integrate these materials within a variety of electronic systems. From a scientific standpoint, the electro-infiltration process provides a unique platform to fabricate new nanocomposite architectures. This enables fundamental exploration of exchange-coupled or nanogranular soft magnetic cores, as well as hard (permanent) magnetic materials. The long-term impact of this work would be a scalable, end-to-end manufacturing process for compact magnetic device components with exceptional performance, low manufacturing cost, and integration with other electronic devices. The specific aims of this one-year EAGER project are to validate the feasibility of the process, while beginning to optimize micro/nanofabrication methods and elucidate structure/property/performance relationships for these new electro-infiltrated nanocomposite magnetic materials.