NSF Award
9960421
This Phase I SBIR proposal addresses a novel deposition process for the manufacture of multilayer films for monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). MMICs are essential for both commercial and military communication applications, such as satellite, GPS, and wireless phones. Each new generation of MMICs are characterized by their increased density, speed, and functionality, which, in turn, are the basis for lower cost and higher performance devices. Ferroelectric and ferrite film technology is a key to development of a MMIC system-on-a-chip. One substantial advantage of an MMIC chip would be the electric post-processing tuning of circuits in order to bring them within specification. However, such MMICs are not available now, because the high growth temperature of ferroelectric and ferrite films are not compatible to GaAs substrates. In this proposal, NZ Applied Technologies proposes to use a novel metalorganic chemical liquid deposition to fabricate high quality low-loss multilayer films on commercial GaAs substrates. This low-cost technique has the potential to reduce the film growth temperature significantly and to meet all the manufacturing requirements. If the proposed process is successful, miniaturization of true MMICs based on lumped-element designs could also become possible.<br/><br/>The commercialization potential for this effort includes a new generation of monolithic microwave integrated circuits, such as on-chip VCOs (voltage controlled oscillators), high speed tunable IC (inductor-capacitor) filters, and tunable delay lines for phase arrays. These advanced systems will have application in the space, military, industrial, and consumer sectors.
