Microfabrication of compact wireless devices in very thick materials

无线设备代表着加拿大数十亿美元的行业，以前所未有的方式推动我们的生活和经济，对微型通信、传感器设备和网络的渴望正在改变我们彼此交互的方式和收集有关我们周围环境的数据。对这类系统的设备小型化的不懈追求往往是以牺牲性能为代价的，而此时的要求是增加功能。无线设备进一步小型化的最大障碍之一是负责信号调理的无源电路元件，以及辐射天线元件。这些被动结构占了尺寸的很大一部分。该项目是一项国际合作，提出了一种使用非传统超厚聚合物材料制造紧凑型无线设备的完全不同的方法，使各种新兴无线通信设备、汽车雷达系统、小卫星、射频识别和传感器/生物传感器的性能和功能得以改善。使用基于同步加速器的深X射线光刻技术微制造高性能无线结构的专门技术将被用于在厚金属、聚合物和聚合物-介质复合层中制造非常高的结构(最高可达毫米)，具有高纵横比和精确到微米范围的特殊结构特征。光刻技术将被用于直接制造介质谐振器天线元件，并首次将其与高大的嵌入式金属结构和电路相结合，以实现具有新功能和增强功能特性的垂直集成无线设备。

Wireless devices represent multi-billion dollar industries in Canada, and drive our lives and economy like never before with a desire for tiny communication and sensor devices and networks that are changing the way we interact with each other and gather data about the environment around us. The relentless pursuit of device miniaturization for such systems often comes at the price of compromised performance, at a time when the requirement is for increased functionality. One of the biggest obstacles to further miniaturization of wireless devices is the passive circuit elements responsible for signal conditioning, and also the radiating antenna element. These passive structures account for a large portion of the size. This project is an international collaboration, proposing a radically different approach to fabrication of compact wireless devices using non-traditional ultra-thick polymer-based materials, enabling improved performance and increased functionality for various emerging wireless communication devices, automotive radar systems, small satellites, RF identification, and sensors/biosensors. Specialized techniques for microfabrication of high performance wireless structures using synchrotron-based deep X-ray lithography will be used to fabricate very tall structures (up to millimetres), in thick metal, polymer, and polymer-dielectric composite layers, with high-aspect-ratios and exceptional structural features down to the micrometer range. Lithography will be used to directly fabricate dielectric resonator antenna elements and combine these with tall embedded metal structures and circuits for the first time, to realize vertical integrated wireless devices with new capabilities and enhanced functional properties.