SBIR-STTR Award

The main objective of this project is to design metamaterial-based MEM phase shifters, and to enable their application in phased-array radar and communications systems. A compact, low-loss, low-power-consumption, and non-dispersive Ka-band 4-bit phase shifter is chosen as the demonstration vehicle. To determine the feasibility of the overall project, the objective during Phase I will be to demonstrate a Ka-band 45° unit cell. The proposed design will be based on a proven Ku-band 45 degree unit, which closely integrates metamaterial with MEM switches to achieve unprecedented broadband performance. Additionally, the design will be based on MEM capacitive switches of proven reliability and reproducibility, making the technology transfer low risk but high payoff. The goal is to end up with the mask layout of the Ka-band 45° phase-shifter unit cell six months after Phase I starts. Then, if the Phase II proposal is selected, the unit cell and eventually a full four-bit phase shifter will be fabricated and tested during Phase II. The teaming of MEMtronics Corp., Lehigh Univ. and Innovative Micro Technology, Inc. ensures that the phase shifters developed under this project will be manufacturable and can be readily commercialized.

Benefit:
The development of ultra-low loss phase shifters based on this technology could significantly reduce the cost of phased array antenna systems. A significant reduction in cost will promote their proliferation for a variety of defense and communications applications.

Keywords:
phase shifter, metamaterial, broadband, low loss, phased array antenna

During the course of the Phase I project, the university partner Lehigh University invented a unique and highly efficient phase shifter concept based on metamaterial design concepts. This novel phase shifter unit cell allows switching between left-handed and right-handed transmission characteristics to create a phase shift with almost 70 degrees shift using only a single MEMS switch. This new phase bit cell exhibits 2.5x more phase shift than the best slow-wave phase shifting architectures, using one-fifth the number of MEMS switches. During the course of the proposed Phase II project, Lehigh will extend this concept to design 4-bit phase shifters at Ka-band and transfer this technology to MEMtronics for fabrication, packaging, and testing using their MEMS capacitive switch process and contract manufacturing partners. This phase shifter concept enables the possibility of 1-2 dB loss phase shifters at Ka-band that occupy approximately 12 mm2. MEMtronics will commercialize this technology to applications where size, weight, power, and cost are critical to mission success. These include defense and commercial applications focused on air- and ground-based satellite communications for UAV and “SatCom on the move” applications.

Benefit:
By taking advantage of combining the differing dispersion characteristics of metamaterials, non-dispersive phase shifters with a constant phase across a wide range of frequencies can be designed. Incorporating RF MEMS technology with these metamaterial designs makes possible low-loss, low DC power consumption phase shifters at Ka-band. This opens a path to exciting new phased-array antenna system architectures requiring fewer expensive transceiver modules, thereby reducing size, weight, and cost over existing phased array systems. This technology will be directly applicable to commercial satellite communications, where it is anticipated that high-speed broadband Internet, digital television, video broadcasting, and government services will be major areas of growth for this industry.

Keywords:
Phase shifter, microwave, Ka-band, RF MEMS, metamaterial