Substrate integrated circuits (SICs) for radio-frequency (RF), millimetre-wave and microwave photonic system applications

申请人率先提出并成功展示了“衬底集成电路(SIC)”概念，可应用于未来的射频、毫米波和微波光子集成电路和系统。这项为期5年的项目致力于进一步的研究和开发，以展示这项可能具有革命性的集成电路技术的独特性和实用性。这项研究使申请者能够领导国际努力，寻找未来的低成本、高性能和完全集成的电路和系统。将进行理论和实验活动，以发现SIC的新电路特征、新设计规则、新创新器件和新应用领域，其中将涉及非传统和多层衬底。我们将研究基于SICS的新型波导结构的基本导波特性，利用混合场/电路模型研究和开发新的建模和设计技术，并为无源/有源电路和天线应用制作和演示选定的实验样机。该项目将促进这一新概念对未来高频，特别是毫米波系统设计朝着完全混合和单片系统基板集成和小型化的方向发展。建议的SICS设计平台可以弥合高频电子和光子电路和系统之间的技术差距。这种电路和系统的成功商业化取决于性价比和可大规模重现的特性。该项目有望为实现这一目标提供宝贵的优势。该项目产生的新知识和高素质人员的培训将对刺激加拿大高科技部门的发展，从而提高加拿大的全球竞争力至关重要。

The applicant pioneered and has successfully demonstrated the "substrate integrated circuits (SICs)" concept for application in future radio-frequency (RF), millimetre-wave and microwave photonic integrated circuits and systems. This 5-year project is concerned with further research and development for demonstrating the uniqueness and usefulness of this possibly revolutionary integrated circuit technique.This research allows the applicant to lead international efforts in searching for future generations of low cost, high performance and fully integrated circuits and systems. Theoretical and experimental activities will be conducted for discovering new circuit features, new design rules, new innovative devices, and new application areas of the SICs, which will involve unconventional and multilayered substrates. Fundamental guided-wave properties will be investigated for new classes of SICs-based waveguide structures, new modeling and design techniques will be studied and developed with hybrid field/circuit models, and selected experimental prototypes will be made and demonstrated for passive/active circuit and antenna applications. This project will foster substantial interests of this new concept for future high-frequency, in particular millimetre-wave system design towards complete hybrid and monolithic system-on-substrate integration and miniaturization.The proposed SICs design platform allows bridging the technological gap between high-frequency electronic and photonic circuits and systems. A successful commercialization of such circuits and systems depends on cost/performance and mass-reproducible characteristics. This project promises to provide a valuable edge in meeting this goal. The new knowledge generated from this project and the training of highly qualified personnel will be critical in stimulating the development of Canadian high-technology sectors, thereby enhancing Canada's global competitiveness.