Emerging technologies in Millimeter-wave MEMS devices: From aerospace to biomedical applications

从卫星通信到人类健康，无线革命在我们日常生活的方方面面都很明显。集成化和小型化显然是下一步，它将推动技术限制超越传统限制。微电子机械系统(MEMS)和纳米技术为实现尺寸更小、性能更优、成本更低的毫米波无线设备提供了机会，以满足市场需求。这项研究计划致力于推动毫米波MEMS技术在从航空航天到生物医学应用的各种目标中的应用。该项目的主要重点将是开发一种新的MEMS器件，即3D单片毫米波MEMS。这一想法是基于MEMS致动器和微制造波导的单片集成。这一概念将被实施，以开发用于卫星和汽车应用的单一设备以及集成电路和系统。建议的方法促进了一种新的毫米波MEMS器件，与现有的MEMS器件相比，这种器件具有更高的性能和更高的功率处理能力。为了说明所提出的概念的广泛应用范围，所开发的3D MEMS基本构建块将扩展为用于生物医学牙科成像的扫描开关网络。这是用来替代对人体组织有害的X射线成像。本研究还将对传统的平面MEMS技术进行研究。例如，将实现一个MEMS开关网络，以稍微改变天线的电气尺寸，并在远场产生相移。它可以作为相控阵天线的移相源，避免了外部移相器，大大降低了成本。

The wireless revolution is evident in every aspect of our daily life, from satellite communications to human health. Integration and miniaturization is an obvious next step which pushes technology limits beyond those of conventional ones. Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology provide the opportunity to realize millimeter-wave wireless devices in much smaller size, superior performance and lower cost to satisfy the market demand. This research plan is dedicated to advancing the millimeter-wave MEMS technology for various targets covering from aerospace to biomedical applications. Primary focus of the project will be on developing a new category of MEMS devices that would be called 3D monolithic millimeter-wave MEMS. The idea is based on monolithic integration of MEMS actuators and micro-fabricated waveguide. The concept will be implemented to develop single device as well as integrated circuits and systems for satellite and automotive applications. The proposed approach promotes a new category of millimeter-wave MEMS devices that offer superior performance with much higher power handling capability compared to the existing MEMS devices. To illustrate the wide application range of the proposed concept, the developed 3D MEMS basic building block will be expanded to a scanning switch network for biomedical dental imaging. This is used to substitute X-ray imaging which is harmful to human body tissue. This research will also investigate on conventional planar MEMS technology. For instance a MEMS switch network will be implemented to change the electrical size of an antenna slightly and generate a phase shift at the far field. This can be used in phased array antenna as a source of phase shifting and avoid external phase shifters which reduces the cost considerately.