You are here

Phased Array Antenna on a Wafer

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 36528
Amount: $99,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1997
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
7 Commerce Drive
Danbury, CT 06810
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Gregory Stauf
 (203) 794-1100
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

The ongoing explosion of microwave radar and communications systems calls for improvement in electronically scanned antennas (ESAs). However, current ESAs crafted from multiple individual elements are extremely expensive. Forming an antenna with integrated scanning and impedance matching elements on a single substrate using thin film technologies may decrease costs by up to two orders of magnitude, allowing essentially disposable antennas. This approach is particularly appealing as microwave frequencies increase, since geometries shrink, making bulk solutions more expensive and those employing thin films less expensive. In Phase I, we will demonstrate a tunable embedded strip line device at 19 GHz with dynamic impedance matching, using ferroelectric BaSrTiO3 (BST) thin films for tunable elements. ATMI has extensive experience with deposition of BST thin films by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, which offers the ability to make very high quality ferroelectric material. Intrinsic losses as low 0.002 at 1 MHz in thin film BST produced by MOCVD have been demonstrated, with dielectric constants of >500 at 30 GHz. Phase I will also address design issues in preparation for Phase II, which will culminate in a prototype multielement ESA fabricated on a single substrate.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government