Collaborative Research: Microfluidic Mm-Wave RF Devices with Integrated Actuation

非技术性：无线技术传统上使用无线电波来传输和接收数据。由移动的通信驱动的高数据速率需求正由在新频带上操作的新兴无线通信系统来解决。在太赫兹（THz）频率（也称为毫米波）处可获得大频谱。然而，毫米波系统面临着诸如信号强度随着距离或信号的阻挡和反射而降低的挑战。这些挑战推动了新天线和设备的开发，这些天线和设备可以高效地最大化信号强度并快速适应其操作。该项目的重点是一种基于微流体的创新方法，以降低成本和提高效率的方式实现这种毫米波天线和设备。这些新型装置将通过集成紧凑的致动机构实现。该项目的进展可以立即使无线通信以及新兴的毫米波应用（如识别标签和智能家电）受益。该计划的跨学科性质预计将为研究生和本科生提供独特的培训和研究机会。PI将开发新的课程内容，重点关注从事跨学科项目的工程师所面临的问题。该项目还计划扩大高中生和少数民族学生的研究机会。技术：微流体重构技术已经引起了人们的兴趣，以解决可重构射频（RF）设备的效率，可调谐性和功率处理问题。不幸的是，由于制造、RF建模和利用表现出较低电导率和氧化问题的液态金属方面的挑战，大多数提出的器件不能在mm波段中操作。该项目的重点是最近的微流体重新配置技术，适用于毫米波段的操作，由于其依赖于选择性金属化板（SMP）可重新定位在微流体通道。主要目标是将新型驱动机制与基于SMP的微流体装置集成，并使其在毫米波频率下的实际操作能够在效率、可调谐性和功率处理方面实现上级性能。两个不同的驱动机制的基础上压电磁盘和电润湿（EW）将进行调查，以允许发现广泛的能力。通过改进制造方法、流动特性和RF设计，将优化压电致动以实现最大RF重构速度。基于EW的驱动将创建一个微流体线性步进电机，以满足高精度运动的要求。将研究板对准精度、液体选择、器件几何形状和RF性能的权衡，以建立基本的设计和制造指南。在RF设计领域，该项目将通过对SMP的运动相关RF寄生进行建模来引入新的功能。所提出的驱动和建模方法适用于一个大类的毫米波器件。这个为期三年的计划是专门为解决毫米波波束控制天线阵列带来的挑战性需求而量身定制的。该计划的目的是调查新颖的开关，移相器和波束形成网络，通过解决他们的设计（即RF寄生建模、尺寸减小、高效率、功率处理）和致动方面（集成、抗振动和冲击的弹性、寿命、速度）该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响进行评估，被认为值得支持审查标准。

Nontechnical:Wireless technology has traditionally used radio waves to transmit and receive data. High data rate demands driven by mobile communications are being addressed by emerging wireless communication systems operating at new frequency bands. A large frequency spectrum is available at terahertz (THz) frequencies, also known as mm-wave. However, mm-wave systems face challenges such as reduction in signal strength with distance or blockage and reflection of signals. These challenges drive the development of new antennas and devices that can maximize the signal strength with high efficiency and rapidly adapt their operation. This project focuses on an innovative microfluidic based approach to enable such mm-wave antennas and devices with reduced cost and enhanced efficiency. These novel devices will be enabled by integrated compact actuation mechanisms. Advances from this project can immediately benefit wireless communication as well as emerging mm-wave applications such as identification tags and smart appliances. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is expected to offer unique training and research opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students. The PIs will develop new curriculum content that focuses on problems faced by engineers working on interdisciplinary projects. The project also plans to expand research opportunities for high-school students and students from underrepresented minorities.Technical:Microfluidic reconfiguration techniques have drawn interest to address efficiency, tunability, and power handling issues of reconfigurable radio-frequency (RF) devices. Unfortunately, the majority of the proposed devices cannot operate in mm-wave bands due to the challenges in manufacturing, RF modeling, and utilization of liquid metals exhibiting lower conductivities and oxidization issues. This project focuses on a more recent microfluidic reconfiguration technique that is suitable for mm-wave band operation due to its reliance on selectively metallized plates (SMPs) repositionable within microfluidic channels. The major goal is to integrate novel actuation mechanisms with the SMP based microfluidic devices and enable their practical operation in mm-wave frequencies to achieve superior performances in efficiency, tunability, and power handling. Two distinct actuation mechanisms based on piezoelectric disks and electrowetting (EW) will be investigated to allow discovery of a broad range of capabilities. Through refinement of fabrication methods, flow characterizations, and RF design; the piezoelectric actuation will be optimized to achieve maximum RF reconfiguration speed. EW-based actuation will create a microfluidic linear stepper motor for addressing the high precision motion requirements. The trade-offs in plate alignment accuracy, selection of liquids, device geometry and RF performance will be investigated to establish the fundamental design and fabrication guidelines. In the RF design domain, the project will introduce novel capabilities by modeling the motion-dependent RF parasitics of SMPs. The proposed actuation and modeling methods are applicable for a large class of mm-wave devices. This three-year program is particularly tailored for addressing the challenging needs imposed by the mm-wave beam-steering antenna arrays. The program aims to investigate novel switches, phase shifters, and beamforming networks by addressing their design (i.e. RF parasitics modeling, size reduction, high efficiency, power handling) and actuation aspects (integration, resilience to vibration and impact, lifetime, speed).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.