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

非技术：无线技术传统上使用无线电波来发送和接收数据。新兴的无线通信系统正在解决由移动通信驱动的高数据速率需求。它们使用新的频段，如毫米波(THz)，其中有很大的频谱可用。然而，毫米波段的无线通信面临着挑战，例如信号强度随着距离的增加而降低，以及信号的阻塞或反射。这些挑战推动了新天线和设备的发展，这些天线和设备能够以高效率最大化信号强度，并快速适应其操作。该项目的重点是一种创新的微流控方法，使这种毫米波天线和设备能够以更低的成本和更高的效率。这些新颖的设备将通过集成的紧凑型驱动机构来实现。该项目的进展可以立即使无线通信以及识别标签和智能家电等新兴毫米波应用受益。该项目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。PIS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来自代表性不足的少数民族的学生的研究机会。技术：微流控重构技术引起了人们对解决可重构射频(RF)设备的效率、可调性和功率处理问题的兴趣。不幸的是，由于制造、射频建模和液态金属利用方面的挑战，大多数建议的器件不能在毫米波波段工作，这些液态金属表现出较低的电导率和氧化问题。本项目的重点是最新的微流控重构技术，由于其依赖于可在微流控通道内重新定位的选择性金属化板(SMPS)，因此适用于毫米波段的操作。其主要目标是将新的驱动机制与基于SMP的微流控器件相集成，使其能够在毫米波频率下实际运行，从而在效率、可调性和功率处理方面获得优异的性能。基于压电盘和电润湿(EW)的两种不同的驱动机制将被研究，以允许发现广泛的能力。通过改进制造方法、流动特性和射频设计，压电驱动将得到优化，以实现最大的射频重构速度。基于EW的驱动将创造一种微流控直线步进电机，以满足高精度的运动要求。将研究平板对准精度、液体选择、器件几何形状和射频性能方面的权衡，以建立基本的设计和制造指南。在射频设计领域，该项目将通过对开关电源的运动相关射频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大类毫米波器件。这项为期三年的计划特别针对毫米波波束导向天线阵带来的挑战性需求而量身定做。该计划旨在通过解决新型开关、移相器和波束成形网络的设计(即射频寄生建模、尺寸缩小、高效率、功率处理)和驱动方面(集成、对振动和冲击的弹性、寿命、速度)来研究它们。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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. These use new frequency bands such as mm-wave (THz) where a large frequency spectrum is available. Wireless communication in mm-wave bands, however, faces challenges such as reductions in signal strength with distance and blockage or 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.