Laser Prototyping of Advanced Millimetre-Wave Sensors, Circuits, and Metamaterials

“物联网”代表着传感器与小型化毫米波电路、先进天线和由钛酸锶(BST)、二氧化钒(VO2)等材料和新兴工程“超材料”实现的增强功能的必然融合。工作在毫米波频率范围内的技术依赖于其小型化和超高密度集成的能力，因此，严重依赖于制造工艺的精度和稳健性。亚利桑那大学因其在纳米和微制造方面的战略投资而得到国际认可，其中包括世界级的NINT设施和NanoFAB。然而，尽管这些设施可能有能力生产晶片和纳米级器件，但它们在制造射频/微波和毫米波范围的电路方面明显装备不足，特别是那些使用奇异新兴材料的电路。此外，现有设施不利于低轮廓3D对象的图案化，尽管在共形微波和毫米波设备的3D打印方面正在进行大量投资。这一提议的动机是最近引入了基于激光的内部印刷电路板制造系统，该系统使用脉冲紫外光激光从表面烧蚀金属，从而能够产生小至几微米的特征。非接触式激光工艺非常适合于对沉积在衬底材料上的BST和VO2进行图案化，也可以适用于低轮廓3D表面的图案化，包括组件的激光微加工。这些系统已经被加拿大几所大型大学以及微电子和通信行业的主要参与者采用。因此，这项提议的目的是申请NSERC RTI资金，以建立一个交钥匙内部设施，用于下一代传感器、超材料和天线的快速原型制作。这样的系统将完成A的世界级原型能力的频谱，并承诺通过使用奇异的材料和几何图形进行重大创新。

The `Internet of Things' represents the inevitable confluence of sensors with miniaturized millimetre- (mm-) wave circuits, advanced antennas, and enhanced functionalities enabled by materials such as Barium-Strontium Titanate (BST), Vanadium Dioxide (VO2) and emerging engineered `metamaterials'. Technologies operating in the mm-wave frequency range rely on their capacity for miniaturization and ultrahigh-density integration, and as a result, depend heavily on the precision and robustness of fabrication processes. The U of A is internationally recognized for its strategic investments in nano- and microfabrication, which include the world-class NINT facility and the NanoFAB. However, as capable as these facilities may be for the production of wafers and nanoscale devices, they are conspicuously ill-equipped for the fabrication of circuits for the RF/microwave and mm-wave range, particularly those employing exotic emerging materials. Moreover, existing facilities are not conducive to the patterning of low-profile 3D objects, even though significant investments are being made in 3D printing of conformal microwave and mm-wave devices. The motivation for this proposal is the recent introduction of laser-based in-house PCB fabrication systems, which use a pulsed UV laser to ablate metal from surfaces to enable the creation of features as small as a few micrometres. The non-contacting laser process is highly suitable for patterning BST and VO2 deposited on substrate materials and may also be adapted for patterning of low-profile 3D surfaces, including laser micromachining of components. These systems have already been adopted by a few large Canadian universities and major players in the microelectronics and communications industries. The purpose of this proposal is, therefore, to request NSERC RTI funding to establish a turnkey in-house facility for the rapid prototyping of next-generation sensors, metamaterials, and antennas. Such a system will complete the U of A's spectrum of world-class prototyping capabilities and promises significant innovation through enabling the use of exotic materials and geometries.