I-Corps: Passive Electronics Miniaturization Technology

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是，通过自卷膜纳米技术，实现极小、轻、高频、高电感、低干扰和低成本的无源电子器件和组件。3D电磁能量存储和限制的新外形因素可以使消费电子产品、智能城市和物联网的突破性应用成为可能。如果成功，这项技术可以彻底改变高频低噪声片上系统、5G及以上便携式通信设备、可穿戴电子产品、电力电子产品、用于医疗成像和定位的无线传感器以及无线身体区域网络的市场。这个i-Corps项目基于自卷膜(S-朗姆)纳米技术，用于实现无源电子设备和组件的极小型化。它为实现极小、极轻的3D器件提供了一种新的制造途径，具有显著增强的功能。S-朗姆纳米技术的主要原理是应变驱动的2D膜到3D结构的自发变形。对于线圈电感，S-朗姆电感不是将金属线在平面内螺旋以增加电感，而是将金属线垂直于表面螺旋，从而自然地将平面内占地面积降至最小。由于与基板的重叠电容最小，超小的封闭占地面积不可避免地实现了高频操作。由于线圈之间的正相互耦合很强，所以可以获得更高的电感。特别是，可以实现的片上3D射频(RF)/微波/毫米波无源器件比传统的与CMOS兼容的2D工艺制造的器件小1~2个数量级。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to enable the realization of extremely small, light, high frequency, high inductance, low interference, and cost effective passive electronic devices and components, through the self-rolled-up membrane nanotechnology. The novel form factor for 3D electromagnetic energy storage and confinement could enable breakthrough applications for consumer electronics, smart cities, and the Internet of Things. If successful, this technology can revolutionize the market for high frequency low noise system-on-chip, portable communication devices at 5G and beyond, and wearable electronics, power electronics, wireless sensors for medical imaging and positioning, and wireless body area networks.This I-Corps project is based on the self-rolled-up membrane (S-RuM) nanotechnology for extreme miniaturization of passive electronic devices and components. It provides a novel fabrication pathway for realizing devices in 3D that are extremely small and light, with significantly enhanced functionalities. The overarching principle of S-RuM nanotechnology is strain-driven spontaneous deformation of 2D membranes into 3D architectures. For coil inductors, instead of spiraling the metal wires in plane to increase the inductance, the S-RuM inductors have the metal wires spiraling normal to surface, which naturally minimizes the in-plane footprint. The ultra-small enclosed footprint inevitably enables high frequency operation because of the minimum overlap capacitance with the substrate. Much higher inductance can be achieved because of the strong positive mutual coupling between the turns. In particular, on-chip 3D radio frequency (RF) /microwave/millimeter wave passive devices can be realized that are 1 ? 2 orders of magnitude smaller than those fabricated with conventional CMOS-compatible 2D processes.