2023 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modeling and Design of a Partially Air-Filled Slow Wave Substrate Integrated Waveguide
J. Corsi, G. P. Rehder, P. Ferrari, A. L. C. Serrano and E. Pistono, "Modeling and Design of a Partially Air-Filled Slow Wave Substrate Integrated Waveguide," in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 750-762, Feb. 2023, doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2022.3206438.
In this article, a partially air-filled and slow wave substrate integrated waveguide (PAF-SW-SIW) build in the metallic nanowires membrane (MnM) technology is studied, fabricated, and measured. The impact of the nanowire conductivity on the slow wave factor (SWF) is quantified, and expressions of the effective permittivity and the effective loss tangent are found for the considered propagation medium. These parameters are expressed as a function of the air layer thickness and the equivalent conductivity of copper nanowires embedded in the nanoporous membrane. Electromagnetic (EM) simulations are used to validate these expressions, and a good agreement is obtained on both of these parameters for a conductivity between 1 and 1M S/m and for various air layer thicknesses, from 5 to 20 μm . In addition, the attenuation constant of nanowires is studied, and the results show a rapid increase of losses in the side walls of the waveguide for a conductivity lower than 100k S/m. Two sets of PAF-SW-SIW with the cutoff frequencies at 50 and 75 GHz, respectively, were fabricated and measured, resulting in attenuation constants between 0.25 and 0.38 dB/mm and between 0.28 and 0.75 dB/mm in the respective single-mode frequency band of these integrated waveguides.
2022 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slow-Wave MEMS phase shifter with Liquid Crystal for Reconfigurable 5G
L. Gomes et al., "Slow-Wave MEMS phase shifter with Liquid Crystal for Reconfigurable 5G," 2022 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium - IMS 2022, Denver, CO, USA, 2022, pp. 983-986, doi: 10.1109/IMS37962.2022.9865403.
Antenna beamforming is crucial for the development of 5G technology in the millimeter wave region and typical beamforming configuration uses phased arrays devices. For this reason, the development of phase shifters devices with low-cost, small footprint and high Figure of Merit (FoM) is necessary. In this paper, we present a slow-wave phase shifter based on a nanoporous alumina interposer, MEMS and liquid crystal (LC) for 5G mmW base station beamforming applications. The slow-wave line allows a device miniaturization, while the liquid crystal increases the phase shift and reduces the MEMS actuation voltage. A FoM of 42°/dB and 66 º/dB was obtained at 24 GHz and 40 GHz, with a maximum biasing voltage of 50 V and a footprint of 0.13 mm2. This device is a prime candidate for phased array antenna applications on 5G and future 6G base stations.
Dual-Band Patch Filter 180/270 GHz on BiCMOS 55nm
M. Wehbi, M. Margalef–Rovira, C. Durand, S. Lepilliet, A. L. C. Serrano and P. Ferrari, "Dual-Band Patch Filter 180/270 GHz on BiCMOS 55nm," 2022 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium - IMS 2022, Denver, CO, USA, 2022, pp. 248-250, doi: 10.1109/IMS37962.2022.9865564.
This paper presents an original design for dual-band dual-mode bandpass filter based on a single grounded patch resonator. It is implemented on BiCMOS 55 nm technology to operate at 180 GHz and 270 GHz. A full control of both bands is possible - thanks to the usage of vias and slots. The grounded vias significantly allow the reduction of the patch resonator realizing an overall size of 0.04 mm2, which is a fundamental aspect for (Bi)CMOS. The achieved results show a good agreement between simulation and measurement results with insertion loss of 4–5 dB in the passband, return loss of 14 dB and relative bandwidths of about 18%.
A Highly Sensitive Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP)-Coated Microwave Glucose Sensor
Amir Hossein Omidvar, Atena Amanati Shahri, Ariana Lacorte Caniato Serrano, Jonas Gruber, Gustavo Pamplona Rehder, "A Highly Sensitive Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP)-Coated Microwave Glucose Sensor", 2022, Journal Sensors, Vol. 22, Pages 8648
A novel, low-cost, sensitive microwave microfluidic glucose detecting biosensor incorporating molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) is presented. The sensing device is based on a stub resonator to characterize water glucose solutions. The tip of one of the stubs is coated with MIP to increase the selectivity of the sensor and hence the sensitivity compared to the uncoated or to the coated with non-imprinted polymer (NIP) sensor. The sensor was fabricated on a FR4 substrate for low-cost purposes. In the presence of the MIP, the sensor loaded with a glucose solution ranging from 50 mg/dL to 400 mg/dL is observed to experience an absorption frequency shift of 73 MHz when the solutions flow in a microfluidic channel passing sensing area, while the lower limit of detection (LLD) of the sensor is discovered to be 2.4 ng/dL. The experimental results show a high sensitivity of 1.3 MHz/(mg/dL) in terms of absorption frequency.
Millimeter-wave Wireless Integrated Systems: what to expect for future solutions
Millimeter-wave Wireless Integrated Systems: what to expect for future solutions ALC Serrano, G Marcati, I Abe, G Palomino, G Rehder - Journal of Integrated Circuits and Systems, 2022
This paper intends to make a brief presentation of in integrated circuits’ developments and efforts towards new wireless applications at the millimeter-wave frequencies band. Considering low-cost applications for the consumer market, it is shown that using only one technology is not desirable for cost and size reasons. The 3D integration becomes a necessity for the new applications in such frequencies, pushing forward alternative technologies and new 3D interconnection techniques.
Reconfigurable circuits and technologies for smart millimeter-wave systems
Philippe Ferrari, "Reconfigurable circuits and technologies for smart millimeter-wave systems", 2022, Cambridge University Press
Get up to speed on the modelling, design, technologies, and applications of tunable circuits and reconfigurable mm-wave systems. Coverage includes smart antennas and frequency-agile RF components, as well as a detailed comparison of three key technologies for the design of tunable mm-wave circuits: CMOS, RF MEMS, and microwave liquid crystals, and measurement results of state-of-the-art prototypes. Numerous examples of tunable circuits and systems are included that can be practically implemented for the reader's own needs. Ideal for graduate students studying RF/microwave engineering, and researchers and engineers involved in circuit and system design for new communication platforms such as mm-wave 5G and beyond, high-throughput satellites in GSO, and future satellite constellations in MEO/LEO, as well as for automotive radars, security and biomedical mm-wave systems.
A Microwave-Based Microfluidic Cell Detecting Biosensor for Biological Quantification Using the Metallic Nanowire-Filled Membrane Technology
"A Microwave-Based Microfluidic Cell Detecting Biosensor for Biological Quantification Using the Metallic Nanowire-Filled Membrane Technology", A Amanati Shahri, AH Omidvar, G Pamplona Rehder… - Sensors, 2022
A label-free, sensitive, miniaturized sensing device was developed for detecting living cells in their flow stream. The outstanding performance of this biosensor in distinguishing living cells in cell suspension was achieved by integrating microstrip stub resonator above a microfluidic structure using the metallic nanowire-filled membrane technology. The cell suspension flows in a microfluidic channel placed between the tip of the stub resonator and its ground plane as the substrate to take advantage of the uniform and concentrated field distribution. We studied the changes in relative permittivity due to the presence of a single living cell in the phase of the transmitted signal (S21). An average variation of as much as 22.85 ± 1.65° at ~11.1 GHz is observed for the living cell sensing using this optimized device. This biosensor could detect rapid flowing cells in their biological medium in real-time and hence, can be used as an early diagnosis and monitoring tool for diseases.
Integrated antennas on MNM interposer for the 60 ghz band
JEG Lé, M Ouvrier-Buffet, LG Gomes, RA Penchel, ALC Serrano, GP Rehder, "Integrated antennas on MNM interposer for the 60 ghz band", 2022, Journal of Microwaves, Optoelectronics and Electromagnetic Applications
In this article, antennas for the 60 GHz ISM band designed to be integrated to a new high-frequency, low-cost interposer technology called Membrane-nanowire-Membrane (MnM) are discussed, manufactured, and measured. Also, an antenna characterization system under development at the Microelectronic Laboratory (LME-USP) is introduced, showing promising results for the deployment of mmW systems.
A Broad Band Patch Antenna Used as Auxiliary Load for Measuring Multi-port Device with 2-port VNA at W-band
D. Wang, R. Jakoby, H. Maune, P. Ferrari, A. L. C. Serrano and G. P. Rehder, "A Broad Band Patch Antenna Used as Auxiliary Load for Measuring Multi-port Device with 2-port VNA at W-band," 2022 14th German Microwave Conference (GeMiC), Ulm, Germany, 2022, pp. 156-159.
This paper presents a simple technique for characterizing multi-port devices. It gives a fast and efficient measurement of the scattering S-parameters of the multi-port device under test (DDT) by measuring 2 of the N ports while other N -2 ports being terminated by broad band antennas as substitution to 50 Ω loads to minimize reflection. This method is applied to the characterization of a 4-port branch-line quadrature hybrid coupler centered at 100 G Hz, where direct 4-port measurement are not equipped. Widely available post processing algorithms are then applied which reconstruct the CN2 sets of 2-port measured S-parameters into a N port S-parameter for testing purpose. The reconstructed S-parameters match the 4-port simulation well especially in terms of amplitude and phase of the transmissions at both output ports.
Nanowire-Based 3-D Transmission-Line Transformer for Millimeter-Wave Applications
T. M. Frutuoso et al., "Nanowire-Based 3-D Transmission-Line Transformer for Millimeter-Wave Applications," in IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, vol. 32, no. 10, pp. 1171-1174, Oct. 2022, doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2022.3159096.
In this letter, 3-D transformers based on transmission lines (TLs) working at mm-wave frequencies are presented. They were realized in a low-cost technology based on metallic-filled nanoporous membranes. Several transformers were designed and measured with different numbers of turns, from 1 to 6 turns. They exhibit working frequencies from 14.5 up to 110 GHz. The 1-dB bandwidth (BW) of the realized transformers is better than 12 GHz, and the insertion loss (IL) is between 1.1 and 1.6 dB, thus demonstrating a high efficiency at mm-waves. Transformers could be further improved by better optimizing the TLs and their return current path, which is a key parameter to be considered, given the distributed nature of the proposed transformers.
Fast and Miniaturized Phase Shifter With Excellent Figure of Merit Based on Liquid Crystal and Nanowire-Filled Membrane Technologies
D. Wang et al., "Fast and Miniaturized Phase Shifter With Excellent Figure of Merit Based on Liquid Crystal and Nanowire-Filled Membrane Technologies," in IEEE Journal of Microwaves, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 174-184, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.1109/JMW.2021.3131648.
This paper presents a highly miniaturized tuneable microstrip line phase shifter for 5 GHz to 67 GHz. The design takes advantage of the microstrip topology by substituting the ground plane by a metallic-nanowire-filled porous alumina membrane (NaM). This leads to a slow-wave (SW) effect of the transmission line; thus, the transmission line can be physically compact while maintaining its electric length. By applying a liquid crystal (LC) with its anisotropic permittivity as substrate between the transmission line and the NaM, a tuneable microstrip line phase shifter is realized. Three demonstrators are identically fabricated filled with different types of high-performance microwave LCs from three generations (GT3-23001, GT5-26001 and GT7-29001). The measurement results show good matching in a 50 Ω system with reflection less than −10 dB over a wide frequency range. These demonstrators are able to reach a maximum figure of merit (FoM) of 41 ∘/dB, 48 ∘/dB, and 70 ∘/dB for different LCs (GT3-23001, GT5-26001 and GT7-29001, respectively). In addition, experiments show that all three LCs should be biased with square wave voltage at approximately 1 kHz to achieve maximum tuneability and response speed. The achieved response times with GT3-23001, GT5-26001 and GT7-29001 are 116 ms, 613 ms, and 125 ms, respectively, which are much faster than other reported LC phase shifter implementations. Large-signal analysis shows that these implementations have high linearity with third-order interception (IP3) points of approximately 60 dBm and a power handling capability of 25 dBm.
Compact DC to 110 GHz Crossover Based on Metallic-Nanowire-Filled Membrane
D. Wang et al., "Compact DC to 110 GHz Crossover Based on Metallic-Nanowire-Filled Membrane," in IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 45-48, Jan. 2022, doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2021.3115585.
This letter presents an ultra-wideband crossover based on metallic-nanowire-filled membrane (MnM) from dc to 110 GHz. Two designs are proposed with reduced insertion loss and high isolation. Design Type 1 presents a 1.2 dB insertion loss and 19 dB isolation up to 80 GHz, with a phase imbalance of 14° at 80 GHz. This important phase imbalance is due to CPW that passes under the top microstrip (MS) line. To improve the device, a CPW was used in both paths. The improved design Type 2 shows a 1.5 dB insertion loss, 0.2 dB insertion loss imbalance, and 3.3° phase imbalance at 110 GHz. The latter presents a measured isolation of 38 dB up to 70 GHz and a simulated isolation better than 30 dB up to 110 GHz.
2021 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Co-Site Interference Study and Mitigation Onboard a Submarine Between Communication and Positioning Systems at L Band
V. T. Klingelfus, A. L. C. Serrano and G. P. Rehder, "Co-Site Interference Study and Mitigation Onboard a Submarine Between Communication and Positioning Systems at L Band," in IEEE Letters on Electromagnetic Compatibility Practice and Applications, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 38-42, March 2021, doi: 10.1109/LEMCPA.2020.3044863.
This letter focuses on modeling and studying the RF interference between a civilian Inmarsat FB emitter at 1627 MHz (culprit) and a GPS L1 band maritime system at 1575 MHz (victim) on close antennas proximity onboard a submarine. Once predicted the RFI, we propose the design of an adequate mitigation for it. The chosen platform to host this study is a 3D model of the U.S. Navy retired Los Angeles SSN-688 original class submarine. The proposed methodology consists on calculating through numerical 3D electromagnetic simulation the electromagnetic decoupling between culprit and victim's antennas on different antenna placement scenarios onboard the SSN-688's masts; modeling a typical GPS front-end receiver simultaneously excited with both the interferer signal after decoupling, and the GPS weak signal reception; to observe the RFI effects on the modeled receiver circuit; and to finally propose and design an adequate filter to control and mitigate the interference. The result is a pre-filter, to be connected to the GPS receiver front-end before the GPS's low noise amplifier, which attenuates the Inmarsat signal on the rejection band below the RFI threshold level and inserts a low insertion loss on GPS pass band.
A high sensitivity microwave glucose sensor
Atena A Shahri, Amir H Omidvar, Gustavo P Rehder, Ariana LC Serrano, "A high sensitivity microwave glucose sensor", 2021, Measurement Science and Technology
A simple, sensitive, low-cost microwave sensor capable of conducting glucose concentration measurements has been developed without chemical bindings. The sensing device uses a microstrip transmission line to detect variation of the glucose component of the solutions placed in a cavity under it. The uniform and concentrated electric field distribution results in an accurate and sensitive measurement of the absorption frequency shift in the frequency response of the sensor. The sensor was fabricated on a FR4 substrate for low-cost purpose. The shift in the absorption frequency of the device was measured in the frequency range between 4.8 GHz and 5.7 GHz using solutions with different glucose concentrations in two ranges:(a) high concentration from 1000 mg dl− 1 to 8000 mg dl− 1 and (b) low concentration from 100 mg dl− 1 to 300 mg dl− 1. The experimental results showed a high sensitivity of 0.32 MHz (mg …
77.3-GHz Standing-Wave Oscillator Based on an Asymmetrical Tunable Slow-Wave Coplanar Stripline Resonator
L. Gomes et al., "77.3-GHz Standing-Wave Oscillator Based on an Asymmetrical Tunable Slow-Wave Coplanar Stripline Resonator," in IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I: Regular Papers, vol. 68, no. 8, pp. 3158-3169, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.1109/TCSI.2021.3060579.
In this paper, the design of a 77.3 GHz Standing-Wave oscillator (SWO) is presented. The proposed SWO relies on the distribution of varactors along an asymmetrical slow-wave coplanar stripline, which enables the improvement of the quality factor of the tunable resonator, resulting in superior performance in terms of phase noise and DC-to-RF efficiency. The design methodology, based on the use of analytical models and abaci, is presented in detail and applied to a design in a 55-nm CMOS technology. With a core consumption of 15.1 mW, the proposed SWO operates from 76.09 GHz to 78.60 GHz and presents a phase noise of -115.1 dBc/Hz at 10 MHz offset, leading to a Figure of Merit (FOM) of -181 dBc/Hz. The DC-to-RF efficiency obtained is 3.1%.
2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slow-wave microstrip line model for PCB and metallic-nanowire-filled-membrane technologies
J. M. Pinheiro, G. P. Rehder, F. Podevin, P. Ferrari and A. L. C. Serrano, "Slow-Wave Microstrip Line Model for PCB and Metallic-Nanowire-Filled-Membrane Technologies," in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 69, no. 2, pp. 1238-1249, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2020.3040414.
An electrical model composed of lumped elements is proposed for slow-wave microstrip lines that use grounded blind vias/nanowires to achieve the slow-wave effect. The main difference of this model, from the traditional RLGC model for transmission lines, is the modeling of the blind vias/nanowires that consider a mutual inductive coupling considered between sections of the model. Two transmission lines on two technologies are analyzed: printed circuit board (PCB) and metallic nanowire-filled membrane (MnM) substrate. The calculi for each component of the model are detailed. Electrical simulations are done, and a comparison between the measured and simulated data is shown. It is shown that the electrical model can predict the transmission lines' behavior, especially the dispersion on the results that happen in frequency.
MEMS Slow-Wave CPW Phase Shifter for mm-Wave Applications
Gustavo P Rehder, Robert G Bovadilla, Franz S Bedoya, Bruno Reig, Cedric Dehos, Ariana LC Serrano, Victoria Nasserddine, Philippe Ferrari, "MEMS Slow-Wave CPW Phase Shifter for mm-Wave Applications", 2020, Journal of Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves, Vol 41, Pag 1227-1244
In this paper, the slow-wave effect and air-filled technology are combined to achieve a compact and efficient substrate integrated waveguide in the W-band. The MnM interposer technology, based on a nanoporous alumina membrane and copper nanowires, allowing a simple through substrate via fabrication, was used. A first partially-air-filled slow-wave substrate integrated waveguide was fabricated and measured, resulting in a reduction of the attenuation constant by 75% at 1.2 times the cut-off frequency as compared to the classic SIW, with Slimilar dimensions.
Partially-Air-Filled Slow-Wave Substrate Integrated Waveguide in Metallic Nanowire Membrane Technology
J. Corsi et al., "Partially-Air-Filled Slow-Wave Substrate Integrated Waveguide in Metallic Nanowire Membrane Technology," 2020 IEEE/MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS), Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2020, pp. 9-12, doi: 10.1109/IMS30576.2020.9223955.
In this paper, the slow-wave effect and air-filled technology are combined to achieve a compact and efficient substrate integrated waveguide in the W-band. The MnM interposer technology, based on a nanoporous alumina membrane and copper nanowires, allowing a simple through substrate via fabrication, was used. A first partially-air-filled slow-wave substrate integrated waveguide was fabricated and measured, resulting in a reduction of the attenuation constant by 75% at 1.2 times the cut-off frequency as compared to the classic SIW, with Slimilar dimensions.
Slow Wave Inverted Microstrip Line Based on Metallic Nanowire Filled Alumina Membrane
D. Wang et al., "Slow Wave Inverted Microstrip Line Based on Metallic Nanowire Filled Alumina Membrane," 2020 German Microwave Conference (GeMiC), Cottbus, Germany, 2020, pp. 160-163.
This paper presents the realization of a slow wave transmission line based on inverted microstrip structure, and a low cost metallic-nanowire-filled-membrane(NaM). The fabrication and processing of NaM are presented, as well as the principle of the slow wave(SW) effect. Simulation and Measurement results at V-band demonstrate that the effective dielectric constant of such transmission lines can be significantly increased beyond the dielectric constant of the substrate. Based on this, the dimension of the transmission line can be miniaturized, and losses can be reduced, thus to achieve a high quality factor.
RF MEMS em ondas milimétricas
Gustavo Pamplona Rehder, "RF MEMS em ondas milimétricas", 2020, Universidade de São Paulo
O mercado atual voltado para telecomunicações apresenta uma crescente demanda de novos serviços e aplicações utilizando grandes volumes de dados que tendem a saturar as faixas de frequências e larguras de banda disponíveis. Por isso, os centros de pesquisa têm sua atenção voltada para aplicações em ondas milimétricas (30 GHz a 300 GHz) como transmissão de vídeo em tempo real em altas taxas de Gb/s (57 GHz a 66 GHz na Europa), radares automotivos (76 GHz a 81 GHz) e imagens por RF (94 GHz, 140 GHz e acima). A recente evolução dos circuitos ativos em CMOS, com demonstrações de transistores com frequências de transição acima de 300 GHz, abre a oportunidade para o desenvolvimento de sistemas integrados de alto desempenho a baixo custo operando em ondas milimétricas. Contudo, as chaves PIN e FET realizadas em silício degradam rapidamente sua isolação com o aumento da frequência e até o momento, somente as chaves RF MEMS conseguem obter alta isolação e baixas perdas em ondas milimétricas. Neste trabalho, foram analisados o comportamento dos elementos parasitas como a capacitância no estado não-atuado, a resistência e capacitância no estado atuado e impedância da chave, para delinear algumas diretrizes gerais para o projeto de chaves em ondas milimétricas. De uma maneira geral, as chaves de banda-larga possuem um isolamento que se degrada com o aumento da frequência, mas podem ser utilizadas em varactores e defasadores com ótimos resultados. Por outro lado, chaves shunt com uma combinação de indutância e capacitância, permitem a obtenção de um zero de …
2019 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Novel platform for droplet detection and size measurement using microstrip transmission lines
Juliana de Novais Schianti, Ariana LC Serrano, Daniel Orquiza de Carvalho, Rafael A. Penchel, Julio Mota Pinheiro, Mario R Gongora-Rubio, Gustavo Pamplona Rehder, "Novel platform for droplet detection and size measurement using microstrip transmission lines", 2019, Sensors, Vol 19,
This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a low loss branch-line hybrid coupler that operates at 60 GHz. The coupler is fabricated using the Metallic-nanowire-filled-Membrane platform, where the nanoporous alumina substrate is selectively filled with metal, forming nanowires that interconnect the metallic layers, using a simple fabrication procedure. The couplers presented return loss and isolation better than 10 dB for a 20-GHz bandwidth and a maximum power unbalance of 0.4 dB for a 10-GHz bandwidth.
60 GHz low-loss branch-line hybrid coupler on nanoporous alumina interposer
B. M. Verona, G. K. Rocha, A. L. C. Serrano and G. P. Rehder, "60 GHz low-loss branch-line hybrid coupler on nanoporous alumina interposer," 2019 SBMO/IEEE MTT-S International Microwave and Optoelectronics Conference (IMOC), Aveiro, Portugal, 2019, pp. 1-3, doi: 10.1109/IMOC43827.2019.9317661.
This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a low loss branch-line hybrid coupler that operates at 60 GHz. The coupler is fabricated using the Metallic-nanowire-filled-Membrane platform, where the nanoporous alumina substrate is selectively filled with metal, forming nanowires that interconnect the metallic layers, using a simple fabrication procedure. The couplers presented return loss and isolation better than 10 dB for a 20-GHz bandwidth and a maximum power unbalance of 0.4 dB for a 10-GHz bandwidth.
Forward‐wave directional coupler based on slow‐wave coupled microstrip lines
Pinheiro, Júlio M., Gustavo P. Rehder, Florence Podevin, Philippe Ferrari, and Ariana LC Serrano. "Slow-wave microstrip line model for PCB and metallic-nanowire-filled-membrane technologies." IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 69, no. 2 (2020): 1238-1249.
This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a low loss branch-line hybrid coupler that operates at 60 GHz. The coupler is fabricated using the Metallic-nanowire-filled-Membrane platform, where the nanoporous alumina substrate is selectively filled with metal, forming nanowires that interconnect the metallic layers, using a simple fabrication procedure. The couplers presented return loss and isolation better than 10 dB for a 20-GHz bandwidth and a maximum power unbalance of 0.4 dB for a 10-GHz bandwidth.
V-Band balun on the Metallic Nanowire Membrane (MnM) Interposer Technology
L. G. Gomes, I. Y. Abe, J. M. Pinheiro, P. Ferrari, G. P. Rehder and A. L. C. Serrano, "V-Band balun on the Metallic Nanowire Membrane (MnM) Interposer Technology," 2019 SBMO/IEEE MTT-S International Microwave and Optoelectronics Conference (IMOC), Aveiro, Portugal, 2019, pp. 1-3, doi: 10.1109/IMOC43827.2019.9317646.
In this paper we present a balun on the MnM interposer technology platform based on a microstrip to CPS transition that was designed to feed a quasi-Yagi antenna at 60 GHz. Two microstrip lines with lengths differing in half a wavelength create a phase shift of 180° from a single-ended input. The balun structure occupies an area of 0.2 mm2 and operates in the frequency range between 67 GHz and 76 GHz. The output amplitude and phase imbalance of the balun are lower than 1 dB and 10 degrees, respectively.
Omnidirectional Ultra-wideband Superellipse Patch Antenna for mm-Waves Applications
R. A. Dos Santos, R. A. Penchel, G. P. Rehder and D. H. Spadoti, "Omnidirectional Ultra-wideband Superellipse Patch Antenna for mm-Waves Applications," 2019 PhotonIcs & Electromagnetics Research Symposium - Spring (PIERS-Spring), Rome, Italy, 2019, pp. 3858-3862, doi: 10.1109/PIERS-Spring46901.2019.9017517.
This paper presents an omnidirectional ultra-wideband printed antenna for millimeter waves applications. A novel superellipse based model is proposed to increase the microstrip antenna bandwidth, creating a structure that operates from 46 to 170 GHz. The antenna patch is formed by two halves of superelipse planes, with different smoothing coefficients, optimized to minimize return loss. In order to estimate the electromagnetic performance, a numerical analyzes were performed by ANSYS HFSS, which employs the Finite Element Method (FEM).
Suspended Slow-Wave transmission lines for mm-wave applications
L. G. Gomes, A. L. C. Serrano, P. Ferrari and G. P. Rehder, "Suspended Slow-Wave transmission lines for mm-wave applications," 2019 34th Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices (SBMicro), Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2019, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/SBMicro.2019.8919327.
This paper presents and validate the concept of a suspended, slow-wave microstrip transmission line that uses air as a substrate. The lines are fabricated on a low-cost interposer technology, the metallic nanowire membrane (MnM), that allows selective growth of copper nanowires, enabling transmission lines with a wide range of Zc. Lines with widths of 35 μm, 25 μm and 15 μm were designed and fabricated with 1, 2 or 4 suspended segments of 250 μm or 500 μm of length. Parametric extraction from the measured S-parameters showed εeff ranging from 5 to 7.5, α smaller than 0.8 dB/mm at 70 GHz and Q as high as 55. Zc varied between 65 Ω and 90 Ω.
A Compact Butler Matrix Design Based on Metallic Nanowire Filled Membrane Technology and Tunable Phase Shifter at 160 GHz
D. Wang et al., "A Compact Butler Matrix Design Based on Metallic Nanowire Filled Membrane Technology and Tunable Phase Shifter at 160 GHz," 2019 44th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz), Paris, France, 2019, pp. 1-2, doi: 10.1109/IRMMW-THz.2019.8873696.
This paper presents the design of a planar miniaturized 4x4 Butler matrix, with implementation of 4 tunable 135° delay line phase shifters for a 160 GHz application. The Butler matrix and phase shifters are both realized with a metallic nanowire filled alumina membrane (NaM) technology, using slow-wave microstrip line to miniaturize the size. Tunability is achieved by filling in a microwave liquid crystal. Comparing with commonly used corporate feed network, the simulation results show such a Butler matrix with 135°-phase shifters has less insertion loss and reduced size.
Integrated Waveguides in Nanoporous Alumina Membrane for Millimeter-Wave Interposer
M. Bertrand et al., "Integrated Waveguides in Nanoporous Alumina Membrane for Millimeter-Wave Interposer," in IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 83-85, Feb. 2019, doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2018.2887193.
The integration of rectangular waveguides inside a nanoporous alumina membrane is proposed in this letter. The horizontal copper plates are realized by a photolithography process while the vertical connections are made of copper nanowires selectively grown inside the nanopores. The lateral wall position can, therefore, be freely adjusted. Waveguides in the V-band (50-75 GHz) and the W-band (75-110 GHz) were manufactured in a 50-μm-thick membrane. For the measurement purpose, wideband transitions from a grounded coplanar waveguide to the waveguide were designed. The measured performance validates the propagation of guided waves with an attenuation constant of about 0.5-0.8 dB/mm in the operating bands, opening the way for the design of functionalized millimeter-wave alumina interposers.
2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Co-Site Interference Modelling, Characterizing and Mitigation Between Inmarsat FB and GPS Systems Onboard a Submarine
V. T. Klingelfus and A. L. C. Serrano, "Co-Site Interference Modelling, Characterizing and Mitigation Between Inmarsat FB and GPS Systems Onboard a Submarine," 2018 IEEE Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Signal Integrity and Power Integrity (EMC, SI & PI), Long Beach, CA, USA, 2018, pp. 1-1, doi: 10.1109/EMCSI.2018.8495218.
This paper focuses on modelling and studying the RF interference (RFI) between a civilian Inmarsat FB emitter at 1627 MHz (culprit) and a GPS L1 band maritime system at 1575 MHz (victim) on close antennas proximity onboard a submarine. Once detected the RFI, we propose the design of an adequate mitigation for it.
Design and post-process of an integrated CMOS-MEMS IR emitter with an embedded detector
V. J. Gamero, P. H. A. Amorim, J. H. Sierra, G. P. Rehder and M. I. Alayo, "Design and post-process of an integrated CMOS-MEMS IR emitter with an embedded detector," 2018 SBFoton International Optics and Photonics Conference (SBFoton IOPC), Campinas, Brazil, 2018, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/SBFoton-IOPC.2018.8610948.
This paper presents the design and post-process of a CMOS-MEMS IR emitter device implemented in standard AMS 0.35μm CMOS process. The IR emitter is based on thermal heating of a chain of tungsten vias implemented on the Back-End-Of-Line. This heating element is protected from oxidation with a SiO2 film and is thermally isolated from the substrate. The IR light emitted from the heating element is directed through a waveguide made of SiO2 and air, used as core and cladding layers, respectively. The optical waveguide is connected to a photodiode used as detector, implemented in the Front-End-Of-Line. The post-process used to isolate the thermal emitter and create the waveguide was done through a maskless post-process that selectively etched the SiO2 layers and used the aluminum film as a sacrificial material. The release of both emitter and optical waveguide was confirmed by visual inspection using optical and electronic microscopes.
Miniaturized Liquid Crystal Slow Wave Phase Shifter Based on Nanowire Filled Membranes
M. Jost et al., "Miniaturized Liquid Crystal Slow Wave Phase Shifter Based on Nanowire Filled Membranes," in IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters, vol. 28, no. 8, pp. 681-683, Aug. 2018, doi: 10.1109/LMWC.2018.2845938.
This letter presents the realization of a miniaturized liquid crystal slow wave phase shifter at V -band. It is based on a microstrip topology, where the ground plane is realized by a porous alumina membrane filled with metallic nanowires, all of them being connected with each other by a metallic ground plane at the membrane's back. While the magnetic field can pass the nanowires almost unperturbed, the electric field is confined in between the signal electrode and the tips of the nanowires. After deembedding, the meander line phase shifter shows a matching always better than -10 dB, while exhibiting an insertion loss between 1.5 and 2.5 dB from 40 to 67 GHz. This results in a figure-of-merit for passive phase shifters of 33 dB to 45°/dB, accompanied with a phase shift of 55°-100°.
110-GHz Through-Substrate-Via Transition Based on Copper Nanowires in Alumina Membrane
J. M. Pinheiro et al., "110-GHz Through-Substrate-Via Transition Based on Copper Nanowires in Alumina Membrane," in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 784-790, Feb. 2018, doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2017.2763142.
A new through-substrate via (TSV) for millimeter-wave frequencies is proposed. The via is formed by copper nanowires connecting the bottom and top surfaces of a porous alumina membrane. It is shown here that the nanowire via is simple to fabricate using a low-cost technology. The nanowire vias were tested as coplanar waveguide transitions and characterized up to 110 GHz. The results show insertion loss better than 0.37 dB and return loss better than 14 dB per transition at 110 GHz. An electrical model for the vias was derived to give a design tool for circuit designers. These TSVs, along with the high-performance transmission lines already developed on the porous alumina membranes, contribute to a powerful platform for the design of high-performance circuits on this innovative interposer.
2017 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study of the Young's Modulus in Microstructures through the Resonance Frequency Technique for Applications in Commercial CMOS Processes
Erick Araújo dos Santos, Gustavo P Rehder, "Study of the Young's Modulus in Microstructures through the Resonance Frequency Technique for Applications in Commercial CMOS Processes", 2017,Materials Research, Vol 20, Pag 81-84
The companies that manufacture devices with techniques inherited from microelectronics, called foundries, generally provide the electrical characteristics of the layers of their manufacturing processes, but they do not provide the mechanical parameters, which prevents the mechanical optimization of any design used in this manufacturing. Thus, the extraction of mechanical properties from the layers of a commercial process is important and it requires specific techniques and microstructures for this purpose. This work presents a study on the Young's modulus of cooper thin films using the resonance frequency technique to extract this parameter. The microstructures used for the application of the technique are cooper cantilevers with lengths of 100-700 µm, width 40 µm and thickness 2 µm suspended in such a way that it is possible to measure their resonant frequency. These structures are also simulated using the finite element method. The experimental results are compared with the simulations and presented equivalence.
3D inductors with nanowire through substrate vias
A. L. C. Serrano et al., "3D inductors with nanowire through substrate vias," 2017 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS), Honololu, HI, USA, 2017, pp. 1641-1644, doi: 10.1109/MWSYM.2017.8058952.
This paper presents a novel 3D inductor (solenoid) fabricated on a 50-pm thick AAO membrane using nanowire-vias. Several inductors were fabricated in this simple and low-cost technology with nanowires. They were measured up to 110 GHz and compared to the state-of-the-art results presented in the literature in different technologies: CMOS, glass, LCP and MEMS. The simulations are in good agreement with measurement, predicting the great potential of these inductors. The first 3D inductors using nanowire-vias presented inductances from 0.5 nH to 1.7 nH with small areas that range from 0.03 mm2 to 0.08 mm2.
Optimization of RF MEMS phase shifter for microwaves applications
R. G. Bovadilla, O. D. Molitor, A. L. C. Serrano and G. P. Rehder, "Optimization of RF MEMS phase shifter for microwaves applications," 2017 32nd Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices (SBMicro), Fortaleza, Brazil, 2017, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/SBMicro.2017.8112985.
There is currently a demand for millimeter wave (mmW) high data-rate communication systems that present characteristics such as small area, low power consumption and low cost. In this paper a 3-bit phase shifter design based on distributed microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and slow-wave coplanar transmission lines (S-CPW) is proposed. The phase shifter was designed following the design rules of the AMS 0,35μm CMOS technology. The results for mechanical simulations in Ansys Workbench™, electromagnetic simulations in Ansys HFSS™ and circuit simulations in Agilent ADS™ are shown and commented. The simulations return a high figure of merit of 176°/dB with an area of 0.37mm2. Finally, the layout done in the Cadence Virtuoso™ has been sent to a foundry and the results of the measurements made on the fabricated device are also shown in the article.
Mm-wave flip-chip fabrication process for MnM-based interposer interconnection
F. S. Bedoya, A. L. C. Serrano and G. P. Rehder, "Mm-wave flip-chip fabrication process for MnM-based interposer interconnection," 2017 32nd Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices (SBMicro), Fortaleza, Brazil, 2017, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/SBMicro.2017.8112986.
This paper presents experimental results of a Flip Chip (FC) fabrication process. The FC technology is based on next generation fine pitch Cu Pillar bumping, which pitches less than 100 μm that support next generation communication devices at the mm-wave frequency range. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on the technical background and to highlight the key issues. This will be done from the point of view of the manufacturing process. It was shown that highly miniaturized Cu Pillar pitches and significantly Cu Pillar thickness can be obtained. Furthermore, this work aims to get advances in Cu Pillar fine pitch FC fabrication process that will be useful as integration technology within nanoporous alumina substrate - based interposer for the development of mm-wave devices. Accordingly, the article will discuss flip-chip fabrication process challenges in both Fine Cu Pillar fabrication and substrate-chip bonding.
Intégration de guides d’onde rectangulaires dans une membrane nano-poreuse d’alumine pour les applications en bande millimétrique
Bertrand Matthieu, Gustavo Rehder, Ariana Serrano, Noureddine Kabbani, Emmanuel Pistono, et al.. Intégration de guides d’onde rectangulaires dans une membrane nano-poreuse d’alumine pour les applications en bande millimétrique. Journée Nationale Microondes, May 2017, Saint-Malo, France. ⟨hal-01693072⟩
This paper presents experimental results of a Flip Chip (FC) fabrication process. The FC technology is based on next generation fine pitch Cu Pillar bumping, which pitches less than 100 μm that support next generation communication devices at the mm-wave frequency range. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on the technical background and to highlight the key issues. This will be done from the point of view of the manufacturing process. It was shown that highly miniaturized Cu Pillar pitches and significantly Cu Pillar thickness can be obtained. Furthermore, this work aims to get advances in Cu Pillar fine pitch FC fabrication process that will be useful as integration technology within nanoporous alumina substrate - based interposer for the development of mm-wave devices. Accordingly, the article will discuss flip-chip fabrication process challenges in both Fine Cu Pillar fabrication and substrate-chip bonding.
Slow wave RF propagation line including a network of nanowires
P Ferrari, GP Rehder, A Serrano, F Podevin, AL Franc, "Slow wave RF propagation line including a network of nanowires", US Patent 9,653,773, 2017
This paper presents experimental results of a Flip Chip (FC) fabrication process. The FC technology is based on next generation fine pitch Cu Pillar bumping, which pitches less than 100 μm that support next generation communication devices at the mm-wave frequency range. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on the technical background and to highlight the key issues. This will be done from the point of view of the manufacturing process. It was shown that highly miniaturized Cu Pillar pitches and significantly Cu Pillar thickness can be obtained. Furthermore, this work aims to get advances in Cu Pillar fine pitch FC fabrication process that will be useful as integration technology within nanoporous alumina substrate - based interposer for the development of mm-wave devices. Accordingly, the article will discuss flip-chip fabrication process challenges in both Fine Cu Pillar fabrication and substrate-chip bonding.
The structural properties of the protective layer of microlamps under polarization
Vinicius RS Cassimiro, Rubens M Cunha Júnior, Gustavo P Rehder, Inés Pereyra, Marcelo NP Carreño, Marco I Alayo, Márcia CA Fantini, Nicolas Trcera, "The structural properties of the protective layer of microlamps under polarization", 2017, Proceedings Science BWSP
This paper presents experimental results of a Flip Chip (FC) fabrication process. The FC technology is based on next generation fine pitch Cu Pillar bumping, which pitches less than 100 μm that support next generation communication devices at the mm-wave frequency range. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on the technical background and to highlight the key issues. This will be done from the point of view of the manufacturing process. It was shown that highly miniaturized Cu Pillar pitches and significantly Cu Pillar thickness can be obtained. Furthermore, this work aims to get advances in Cu Pillar fine pitch FC fabrication process that will be useful as integration technology within nanoporous alumina substrate - based interposer for the development of mm-wave devices. Accordingly, the article will discuss flip-chip fabrication process challenges in both Fine Cu Pillar fabrication and substrate-chip bonding.
2016 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A tunable bandstop filter using triangular patch resonator with defected ground structures
Pinheiro, J. M., and A. L. C. Serrano. "A tunable bandstop filter using triangular patch resonator with defected ground structures." Microwave and Optical Technology Letters 12, no. 58 (2016): 2930-2933.
In this paper, an innovative mm-wave technology platform is presented based on the metallic-nanowire-membrane (MnM). Here, the interposer with the most basic components are demonstrated: high performance TSVs and transmission lines showing a wide range of Zc. It was shown that it is possible to fabricate transmission lines with low and high characteristic impedances, varying from 5 Ω to 140 Ω. Highly miniaturized transmission lines can also be obtained with high quality factor (greater than 30). TSVs were fabricated with small footprint (30 μm × 20 μm) and low losses (0.05 dB/transition). These preliminary results show the promising potential of the MnM platform for the development of mm-wave devices that could include filters, couplers, feeding networks and antenna arrays.
Interposer based on metallic-nanowire-membrane (MnM) for mm-wave applications
M. V. Pelegrini et al., "Interposer based on metallic-nanowire-membrane (MnM) for mm-wave applications," 2016 11th European Microwave Integrated Circuits Conference (EuMIC), London, UK, 2016, pp. 532-535, doi: 10.1109/EuMIC.2016.7777609.
In this paper, an innovative mm-wave technology platform is presented based on the metallic-nanowire-membrane (MnM). Here, the interposer with the most basic components are demonstrated: high performance TSVs and transmission lines showing a wide range of Zc. It was shown that it is possible to fabricate transmission lines with low and high characteristic impedances, varying from 5 Ω to 140 Ω. Highly miniaturized transmission lines can also be obtained with high quality factor (greater than 30). TSVs were fabricated with small footprint (30 μm × 20 μm) and low losses (0.05 dB/transition). These preliminary results show the promising potential of the MnM platform for the development of mm-wave devices that could include filters, couplers, feeding networks and antenna arrays.
Nanowire-based through substrate via for millimeter-wave frequencies
J. M. Pinheiro, M. V. Pelegrini, L. Amorese, P. Ferrari, G. P. Rehder and A. L. C. Serrano, "Nanowire-based through substrate via for millimeter-wave frequencies," 2016 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS), San Francisco, CA, USA, 2016, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/MWSYM.2016.7540078.
A new through substrate via for millimeter-wave frequencies is proposed. The via is formed by copper nanowires connecting the bottom to the top surfaces of a porous alumina membrane. It is shown here that the nanowire-via is simple to fabricate using only six low-cost processing steps. Its dimensions and spacing are only limited by the photolithography process, reaching small sizes, important for high-density interconnections. The nanowire-vias were tested as CPW transitions and characterized up to 40 GHz. The results show low insertion loss of less than 0.035 dB per transitions at 40 GHz.
2015 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Déphaseur en technologie MEMS pour application en bande millimétrique
Victoria Nasserddine, Gustavo Rehder, Florence Podevin, Bruno Reig, Vincent Puyal, C Dehos, Philippe Ferrari, " Déphaseur en technologie MEMS pour application en bande millimétrique", 2015, 19èmes Journées Nationales Micro-ondes
Déphaseur en technologie MEMS pour application en bande millimétrique - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu Accéder directement à la navigation Toggle navigation HAL HAL - Archives Ouvertes La connaissance libre et partagée Accueil Dépôt Consultation Les derniers dépôts Par type de publication Par discipline Par année de publication Par structure de recherche Les portails de l'archive Recherche Documentation hal-02022273, version 1 Communication dans un congrès Déphaseur en technologie MEMS pour application en bande millimétrique Victoria Nasserddine 1 Gustavo Rehder 2 Florence Podevin 1 Bruno Reig 3 Vincent Puyal 4 C. Dehos 3 Philippe Ferrari 1 Détails 1 IMEP-LAHC - Institut de Microélectronique, Electromagnétisme et Photonique - Laboratoire d'Hyperfréquences et Caractérisation 2 Laboratory of Microelectronics USP 3 CEA-LETI - Commissariat à l'énergie atomique …
Déphaseurs accordables à 60 GHz basés sur des lignes à ondes lentes à MEMS distribués
Marcus Pelegrini, Florence Podevin, Gustavo Rehder, Victoria Nasserddine, Thu Trang Vo, Philippe Ferrari, "Déphaseurs accordables à 60 GHz basés sur des lignes à ondes lentes à MEMS distribués",19èmes Journées Nationales Micro-ondes 2015,
This article presents the development process of an microgripper for the manipulation of microelements such as particles of organic and inorganic materials. The device was deigned to manipulate microparticles between 130-140 micrometers in diameter using the thermal expansion due to the Joule effect. The microgripper geometry was optimized through a Topology Optimization Method, which applies a continuum topology optimization with spatial filtering technique. The optimized topology was modeled using Finite Element Method in order to verify the behavior of the designed geometry. The structure was fabricated using simple, low-cost process based on a flip-chip technology. The structure was fabricated using electroplated nickel, in order to increase the displacement of the tip of the microgripper. Finally, the electrothermomechanical microgripper was tested and the total displacement of the structure measured using optical microscopy. A total displacement of 20 microns can be safely achieved without permanent deformation of the structure.
Tunable high-frequency transmission line
Philippe Ferrari, Gustavo Pamplona Rehder, "Tunable high-frequency transmission line", 2015, US Patent 9,136,573,
The invention relates to a high-frequency transmission line including a central conductive strip (6) associated with at least one conductive shielding plane (4), wherein at least a portion of the space between the conductive plane and the conductive strip comprises a ferroelectric material (10).
2014 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Modeling and characterization of slow-wave microstrip lines on metallic-nanowire-filled-membrane substrate
A. L. C. Serrano et al., "Modeling and Characterization of Slow-Wave Microstrip Lines on Metallic-Nanowire- Filled-Membrane Substrate," in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 62, no. 12, pp. 3249-3254, Dec. 2014, doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2014.2366108.
In this paper, a physical model of the slow-wave (SW) microstrip lines based on a metallic-nanowire-filled-membrane substrate is presented for the first time. The model properly predicts the behavior of the SW transmission lines as shown by the experimental results. Two sets of transmission lines differing in oxide thickness with various widths were fabricated and characterized up to 70 GHz. The electrical model is valid for both oxide thicknesses and microstrips width. High-quality factors are obtained, above 40 from 30 GHz up to 70 GHz, paving the way for further designs of passive circuits, like power dividers or hybrid couplers, with good performance.
Slow-wave distributed MEMS phase shifter in CMOS for millimeter-wave applications
B. M. Verona, G. P. Rehder, A. L. C. Serrano, M. N. P. Carreño and P. Ferrari, "Slow-wave distributed MEMS phase shifter in CMOS for millimeter-wave applications," 2014 44th European Microwave Conference, Rome, Italy, 2014, pp. 211-214, doi: 10.1109/EuMC.2014.6986407.
This paper presents the first experimental results of a distributed-MEMS phase shifter for millimeter waves applications. It is based on a tunable shielded coplanar waveguide (S-CPW) fabricated using the back-end-of-line (BEOL) of AMS 0.35 μm CMOS technology. A simple maskless post-CMOS etch was used to remove the BEOL silicon dioxide and release the ribbons of the S-CPW that can be electrostatically displaced, changing the capacitance of the S-CPW, altering the phase of the propagating signal. A phase shift of 25.1° with an insertion loss of 0.7 dB was measured in an 1120 μm-long S-CPW at 60 GHz, under a 60 V bias voltage, resulting in a Figure of Merit of 36°/dB. The developed approach also leads to a small insertion loss variation of ±0.1 dB. These first results should be further improved by optimizing the mechanical design.
Development of ETM microgrippers using Topology Optimization
R. Horstmann, L. K. R. Ardi, G. P. Rehder, E. C. N. Silva and M. N. P. Carreño, "Development of ETM microgrippers using Topology Optimization," 2014 29th Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices (SBMicro), Aracaju, Brazil, 2014, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/SBMicro.2014.6940093.
This article presents the development process of an microgripper for the manipulation of microelements such as particles of organic and inorganic materials. The device was deigned to manipulate microparticles between 130-140 micrometers in diameter using the thermal expansion due to the Joule effect. The microgripper geometry was optimized through a Topology Optimization Method, which applies a continuum topology optimization with spatial filtering technique. The optimized topology was modeled using Finite Element Method in order to verify the behavior of the designed geometry. The structure was fabricated using simple, low-cost process based on a flip-chip technology. The structure was fabricated using electroplated nickel, in order to increase the displacement of the tip of the microgripper. Finally, the electrothermomechanical microgripper was tested and the total displacement of the structure measured using optical microscopy. A total displacement of 20 microns can be safely achieved without permanent deformation of the structure.
Photonic band gap maps for wurtzite GaN and AlN
E. G. Melo, G. P. Rehder and M. I. Alayo, "Photonic band gap maps for wurtzite GaN and AlN," 2014 29th Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices (SBMicro), Aracaju, Brazil, 2014, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/SBMicro.2014.6940102.
GaN and AlN have attracted a great attention in the photonics researches. The large band gaps of these materials turn them suitable for nanophotonic devices that operate in light ranges from visible to deep ultraviolet. The photonic band gap maps obtained from plane wave calculations of common structures in wurtzite GaN and also in AlN were presented and analyzed. A complete photonic band gap with flat bands in the M - K direction was observed in the triangular lattice of air holes in dielectric medium.
60 GHz antennas on silicon with embedded cavity-backed structure
H. P. Phan, T. -P. Vuong, G. Rehder and C. A. Balanis, "60 GHz antennas on silicon with embedded cavity-backed structure," 2014 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium (APSURSI), Memphis, TN, USA, 2014, pp. 99-100, doi: 10.1109/APS.2014.6904381.
In this paper a new silicon-based antenna structure with an embedded back cavity is presented. The basic antenna with an optimized geometry has good impedance matching with return loss of -40 dB at the resonant frequency of 60 GHz and a gain of 7.6 dBi. A multi-layer structure can be realized that can lead toward the design of electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) layers inside the antenna to obtain desirable radiation characteristics. An example of such a structure is illustrated with a U-form uniplanar periodic structure under the radiating element that increases its gain by about 0.7 dBi at 60 GHz.
Millimeter-wave antenna array on silicon with embedded cavity-backed structure
H. P. Phan, M. H. Hoang, T. -P. Vuong, G. Rehder and C. A. Balanis, "Millimeter-wave antenna array on silicon with embedded cavity-backed structure," 2014 16th International Symposium on Antenna Technology and Applied Electromagnetics (ANTEM), Victoria, BC, Canada, 2014, pp. 1-2, doi: 10.1109/ANTEM.2014.6887667.
In this paper a new silicon-based antenna structure with an embedded back cavity is presented. The basic antenna with an optimized geometry has good impedance matching with return loss of -40 dB and gain of 7.6 dBi at the resonant frequency of 60 GHz. The linear arrays of four antennas with the corporate feed network have been built with three different forms of rectangular back cavity to compare its impact on the directivity and total efficiency of the antenna. As a result, the array with closed-box cavity gives the best performance with directivity of 16.51 dBi with total efficiency of -1.22 dB.
Slow-wave microstrip line on nanowire-based alumina membrane
A. L. C. Serrano et al., "Slow-wave microstrip line on nanowire-based alumina membrane," 2014 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS2014), Tampa, FL, USA, 2014, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/MWSYM.2014.6848552.
This paper proposes a new technology for slow wave microstrip lines based on a low-cost metallic-nanowire-filled-membrane substrate (MnM-substrate). These transmission lines can operate from RF to millimeter-wave frequencies. The MnM-substrate consists in a dielectric material containing vertical metallic nanowires connected to a bottom ground plane. The innovative concept of the slow-wave microstrip lines on MnM-substrate is presented, as well as the electromagnetic considerations, fabrication process, and measurement results. Initial results show high relative dielectric constants (up to 43). Hence, it is possible to reach high-quality factor transmission lines within a great range of impedances, from 20 to 100 Ω, without critical dimensions.
2013 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distributed MEMS phase shifter for millimeter-wave applications
R. G. Bovadilla, G. P. Rehder, A. L. C. Serrano and P. Ferrari, "Distributed MEMS phase shifter for millimeter-wave applications," 28th Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices (SBMicro 2013), Curitiba, Brazil, 2013, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/SBMicro.2013.6676169.
There is a demand of millimeter waves (mmW) high data-rate communication systems. Systems should have small area as well as low power consumption and low cost in order to address wireless consumer applications. In this paper a low-loss distributed microelectromechanical (MEMS) Phase Shifter for mmW applications based on an innovative concept of distributed MEMS and slow-wave coplanar transmission lines (S-CPW) is proposed. The phase shift is achieved by releasing the ribbons of the shielding layer of the S-CPW with a HF vapor etching process that allows the motion when a DC voltage is applied, changing the phase of the propagating signal. An electromechanical model was carried out for the distributed MEMS. It is composed of lumped elements that allow simulating the electromechanical behavior of the distributed MEMS and the phase shift. The fabrication process is described in detail. Initial simulation results show potentially high electrical performance.
Modeling and fabrication of low cost MEMS varactor for filter applications
F. R. M. Pavan, G. P. Rehder and M. N. P. Carreño, "Modeling and fabrication of low cost MEMS varactor for filter applications," 28th Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices (SBMicro 2013), Curitiba, Brazil, 2013, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/SBMicro.2013.6676133.
A low cost concept of a RF MEMS varactor for integration in a selectable-band patch filter is proposed, modeled and fabricated, with initially good results. A lumped element model is used to allow the simulation of the eletromechanical behavior of the MEMS varactor with the RF response of the patch filter. The first fabrication results show promising possibilities for the integration of the MEMS varactor (fabricated with microelectronics processing) and the patch filter (fabricated with printed circuit board technology) using a flip-chip process.
Compact and Broadband Millimeter-Wave Electrically Tunable Phase Shifter Combining Slow-Wave Effect With Liquid Crystal Technology
A. -L. Franc, O. H. Karabey, G. Rehder, E. Pistono, R. Jakoby and P. Ferrari, "Compact and Broadband Millimeter-Wave Electrically Tunable Phase Shifter Combining Slow-Wave Effect With Liquid Crystal Technology," in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 61, no. 11, pp. 3905-3915, Nov. 2013, doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2013.2282288.
Based on a CMOS slow-wave coplanar-waveguide transmission-line topology, a novel compact millimeter-wave phase shifter is presented. The tunability is accomplished by using a liquid crystal (LC) material as a tunable dielectric between the coplanar signal strip and the shielding plane of the slow-wave transmission line. The device tunability is considerably enhanced by moving the free-standing signal strip with the application of a bias voltage. Combining the miniaturizing benefits of the slow-wave effect with the continuous tuning of LC material, the proposed device occupies only 0.38 mm 2 and exhibits high performance. The phase shifter was characterized up to 45 GHz for a maximum bias voltage of 20 V without significant power consumption. The reproducible measurements show a figure-of-merit (ratio between the maximum phase shift and the maximum insertion loss) of 51°/dB at 45 GHz.
Capteur microondes intégré: caractérisation de la constante diélectrique de faibles volumes de liquides
Anne-Laure Franc, G Rehder, P Ferrari, " Capteur microondes intégré: caractérisation de la constante diélectrique de faibles volumes de liquides", 2013, 18èmes journées nationales micro-ondes
Capteur microondes intégré : caractérisation de la constante diélectrique de faibles volumes de liquides - Université Savoie Mont Blanc Accéder directement au contenu Accéder directement à la navigation Toggle navigation HAL Université Savoie Mont Blanc HAL - hal.archives-ouvertes.fr Accueil Recherche Consultation Par type de publication Par année de publication Par domaine Par structure Par laboratoire Par collection Par auteur Dépôt hal-01020261, version 1 Communication dans un congrès Capteur microondes intégré : caractérisation de la constante diélectrique de faibles volumes de liquides Anne-Laure Franc 1 G. Rehder P. Ferrari 1 Détails 1 IMEP-LAHC - Institut de Microélectronique, Electromagnétisme et Photonique - Laboratoire d'Hyperfréquences et Caractérisation Résumé : Capteur microondes intégré Type de document : Communication dans un congrès Domaine : Sciences de l'ingénieur […
Déphaseur millimétrique compact combinant l'effet d'ondes lentes et les cristaux liquides
Anne-Laure Franc, OH Karabey, G Rehder, Emmanuel Pistono, R Jakoby, P Ferrari, "Déphaseur millimétrique compact combinant l'effet d'ondes lentes et les cristaux liquides",2013, 18èmes journées nationales micro-ondes
Déphaseur millimétrique compact combinant l'effet d'ondes lentes et les cristaux liquides - Université Savoie Mont Blanc Accéder directement au contenu Accéder directement à la navigation Toggle navigation HAL Université Savoie Mont Blanc HAL - hal.archives-ouvertes.fr Accueil Recherche Consultation Par type de publication Par année de publication Par domaine Par structure Par laboratoire Par collection Par auteur Dépôt hal-01020736, version 1 Communication dans un congrès Déphaseur millimétrique compact combinant l'effet d'ondes lentes et les cristaux liquides Anne-Laure Franc 1, 2 OH Karabey G. Rehder Emmanuel Pistono 1 R. Jakoby P. Ferrari 1 Détails 1 IMEP-LAHC - Institut de Microélectronique, Electromagnétisme et Photonique - Laboratoire d'Hyperfréquences et Caractérisation 2 LAPLACE-GRE - Groupe de Recherche en Electromagnétisme LAPLACE - LAboratoire PLasma et Conversion d'…
Lignes microrubans à ondes lentes sur une membrane révolutionnaire constituée d'alumine remplie de nanofils métalliques
Florence Podevin, Anne-Laure Franc, Emmanuel Pistono, G Rehder, A Serrano, L Cagnon, P Ferrari, " Lignes microrubans à ondes lentes sur une membrane révolutionnaire constituée d'alumine remplie de nanofils métalliques", 2013, 18èmes journées nationales micro-ondes
Based on a CMOS slow-wave coplanar-waveguide transmission-line topology, a novel compact millimeter-wave phase shifter is presented. The tunability is accomplished by using a liquid crystal (LC) material as a tunable dielectric between the coplanar signal strip and the shielding plane of the slow-wave transmission line. The device tunability is considerably enhanced by moving the free-standing signal strip with the application of a bias voltage. Combining the miniaturizing benefits of the slow-wave effect with the continuous tuning of LC material, the proposed device occupies only 0.38 mm 2 and exhibits high performance. The phase shifter was characterized up to 45 GHz for a maximum bias voltage of 20 V without significant power consumption. The reproducible measurements show a figure-of-merit (ratio between the maximum phase shift and the maximum insertion loss) of 51°/dB at 45 GHz.
2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Slow-wave Microstrip Lines on a Nanowire based Alumina Membrane
Florence Podevin, A Serrano, G Rehder, Anne-Laure Franc, L Cagnon, P Ferrari, " Slow-wave Microstrip Lines on a Nanowire based Alumina Membrane", 2012,
Slow-wave Microstrip Lines on a Nanowire based Alumina Membrane - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu Accéder directement à la navigation Toggle navigation HAL HAL - Archives Ouvertes La connaissance libre et partagée Accueil Dépôt Consultation Les derniers dépôts Par type de publication Par discipline Par année de publication Par structure de recherche Les portails de l'archive Recherche Documentation hal-01062308, version 1 Communication dans un congrès Slow-wave Microstrip Lines on a Nanowire based Alumina Membrane Florence Podevin 1 A. Serrano 2 G. Rehder 1 Anne-Laure Franc 1 L. Cagnon 3 P. Ferrari 1 Détails 1 IMEP-LAHC - Institut de Microélectronique, Electromagnétisme et Photonique - Laboratoire d'Hyperfréquences et Caractérisation 2 Departamento de Física 3 MNM - Micro et NanoMagnétisme NEEL - Institut Néel Type de document : Communication dans …
Nanowires based membrane as an interposer for mm waves applications
A Serrano, Florence Podevin, G Rehder, L Cagnon, P Ferrari, " Nanowires based membrane as an interposer for mm waves applications", 2012, Micro&Nano Conference
Nanowires based membrane as an interposer for mm waves applications - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu Accéder directement à la navigation Toggle navigation HAL HAL - Archives Ouvertes La connaissance libre et partagée Accueil Dépôt Consultation Les derniers dépôts Par type de publication Par discipline Par année de publication Par structure de recherche Les portails de l'archive Recherche Documentation hal-01062288, version 1 Communication dans un congrès Nanowires based membrane as an interposer for mm waves applications A. Serrano 1 Florence Podevin 2 G. Rehder 2 L. Cagnon 3 P. Ferrari 2 Détails 1 Departamento de Física 2 IMEP-LAHC - Institut de Microélectronique, Electromagnétisme et Photonique - Laboratoire d'Hyperfréquences et Caractérisation 3 MNM - Micro et NanoMagnétisme NEEL - Institut Néel Type de document : Communication dans un congrès ...
A millimeter-wave integrated sensor for the dielectric constant characterization of pico-liter volumes of liquids
A. -L. Franc, P. Ferrari and G. Rehder, "A millimeter-wave integrated sensor for the dielectric constant characterization of pico-liter volumes of liquids," 2012 International Semiconductor Conference Dresden-Grenoble (ISCDG), Grenoble, France, 2012, pp. 147-150, doi: 10.1109/ISCDG.2012.6360034.
A transmission line-based integrated sensor is investigated for the dielectric constant characterization of liquids using pico-liter volumes. The sensor is manufactured using the back-end-of-line of a CMOS 0.35 μm from AMS. A simple maskless etching post-CMOS process is used to realize a cavity underneath a transmission line to insert the liquid-under-test. Measurements with a vector network analyzer demonstrate a promising method for the characterization of the dielectric constant of liquids up to 40 GHz.
Slow‐wave transmission lines for millimeter‐wave integrated circuits: State‐of‐the‐art and Prospects
Anne-Laure Franc, Florence Podevin, Emmanuel Pistono, Gustavo Rehder, Ariana Maria da Conceição Lacorte Caniato, Francois Burdin, Xiaolan Tang, JM Fournier, Philippe Ferrari, " Gustavo Pamplona Rehder Slow‐wave transmission lines for millimeter‐wave integrated circuits: State‐of‐the‐art and Prospects", 2012, Nanofunction ESSDERC/ESSCIRC Workshop on novel material, devices and technologies for high performance on-chip applications
Slow‐wave transmission lines for millimeter‐wave integrated circuits: State‐of‐the‐art and Prospects - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu Accéder directement à la navigation Toggle navigation HAL HAL - Archives Ouvertes La connaissance libre et partagée Accueil Dépôt Consultation Les derniers dépôts Par type de publication Par discipline Par année de publication Par structure de recherche Les portails de l'archive Recherche Documentation hal-02501321, version 1 Communication dans un congrès Slow‐wave transmission lines for millimeter‐wave integrated circuits: State‐of‐the‐art and Prospects Anne-Laure Franc 1 Florence Podevin 1 Emmanuel Pistono 1 Gustavo Rehder 2 Ariana Maria da Conceição Lacorte Caniato Serrano 3 Francois Burdin 1 Xiaolan Tang 1 JM Fournier 1 Philippe Ferrari 1 Détails 1 IMEP-LAHC - Institut de Microélectronique, Electromagnétisme et Photonique - …
Faisabilité de réalisation de lignes à onde lente accordables pour l'application de déphaseur dans la gamme de fréquence millimétrique
G Rehder, Florence Podevin, Anne-Laure Franc, P Ferrari, "Faisabilité de réalisation de lignes à onde lente accordables pour l'application de déphaseur dans la gamme de fréquence millimétrique", 2012, 12èmes Journées de Caractérisation Microondes et Matériaux, JCMM'12
"Faisabilité de réalisation de lignes à onde lente accordables pour l'application de déphaseur dans la gamme de fréquence millimétrique", - Université Savoie Mont Blanc Accéder directement au contenu Accéder directement à la navigation Toggle navigation HAL Université Savoie Mont Blanc HAL - hal.archives-ouvertes.fr Accueil Recherche Consultation Par type de publication Par année de publication Par domaine Par structure Par laboratoire Par collection Par auteur Dépôt hal-01068591, version 1 Communication dans un congrès "Faisabilité de réalisation de lignes à onde lente accordables pour l'application de déphaseur dans la gamme de fréquence millimétrique", G. Rehder 1 Florence Podevin 1 Anne-Laure Franc 1 P. Ferrari 1 Détails 1 IMEP-LAHC - Institut de Microélectronique, Electromagnétisme et Photonique - Laboratoire d'Hyperfréquences et Caractérisation Type de document : Communication …
Optical humidity sensor using Polypyrrole (PPy)
MA Alvarado, DO Carvalho, G Rehder, J Gruber, RWC Li, MI Alayo, "Optical humidity sensor using Polypyrrole (PPy)", 2012, Optical Components and Materials IX
In previous works it was demonstrated that the electrical resistivity of Polypyrrole (PPY) changes when exposed to different organic solvents which allowed the development of applications in gas sensors [1,2]. Also, is well known that optical gas sensors have several advantages over conventional electronic ones like high sensitivity, reduced signal-to-noise ratio, and compatibility with combustible gases. The optical properties of polymer materials have became of great importance in modern optical design of polymer based optical sensors and devices. Thin polymer films appear in an ample spectrum of applications such as photonics, data storage, communications and sensor devices [3]. In this work an optical sensor for the detection of water vapor using Polypyrrole (PPY) as active material is proposed. As a first step in studying polypyrrole for this application, the refractive index of this material was measured after …
Metallic nanowire filled membrane for slow wave microstrip transmission lines
A. . -L. Franc, F. Podevin, L. Cagnon, P. Ferrari, A. Serrano and G. Rehder, "Metallic nanowire filled membrane for slow wave microstrip transmission lines," 2012 International Semiconductor Conference Dresden-Grenoble (ISCDG), Grenoble, France, 2012, pp. 191-194, doi: 10.1109/ISCDG.2012.6360022.
A new concept of slow wave microstrip transmission lines (SW µTL) dedicated to mmW and sub-mmW applications (100 GHz and further) is described herein. The microstrip is deposited on a specific substrate consisting in a metallic nanowires-filled membrane (MnM) of alumina covered with a thin top layer of silicon oxide. The slow wave effect is obtained thanks to metallic nanowires that capture the electric field while the magnetic field can extend in the whole substrate. Despite of the strong miniaturization expected, such SW µTLs should reach a quality factor five times higher than the one obtained with a conventional microstrip line (without nanowires). Such SW µTL can act as interconnecting paths if the MnM substrate is used as a 3D-interposer.
Development of MEMS varactor for selectable-band patch filter
G. Rehder, A. L. C. Serrano, F. S. Correra and M. N. P. Carreño, "Development of MEMS varactor for selectable-band patch filter," 2012 8th International Caribbean Conference on Devices, Circuits and Systems (ICCDCS), Playa del Carmen, Mexico, 2012, pp. 1-2, doi: 10.1109/ICCDCS.2012.6188949.
The use of MEMS as tuning elements is interesting for their higher performance in terms of loss and nonlinearity. Here, MEMS varactors are integrated to a patch filter through a flip-chip process in order to change the filter center frequency. The selected frequencies are the ones assigned to WiMAX frequency bands at 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz.
Development of a slow-wave MEMS phase shifter on CMOS technology for millimeter wave frequencies
Gustavo Rehder, Trang Vo, Philippe Ferrari, "Development of a slow-wave MEMS phase shifter on CMOS technology for millimeter wave frequencies", 2012 , Microelectronic engineering
The use of MEMS as tuning elements is interesting for their higher performance in terms of loss and nonlinearity. Here, MEMS varactors are integrated to a patch filter through a flip-chip process in order to change the filter center frequency. The selected frequencies are the ones assigned to WiMAX frequency bands at 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz.
2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study of built-in stress distribution in AlGaN/GaN/AlN heterostructure based cantilevers for mechanical sensing in harsh environments
S. Vittoz, L. Rufer, G. Rehder, R. Srnanek and J. Kovac, "Study of built-in stress distribution in AlGaN/GaN/AlN heterostructure based cantilevers for mechanical sensing in harsh environments," 2011 4th IEEE International Workshop on Advances in Sensors and Interfaces (IWASI), Savelletri di Fasano, Italy, 2011, pp. 17-20, doi: 10.1109/IWASI.2011.6004678.
Some industrial areas as oil, automotive and aerospace industries, require electromechanical systems working in harsh environments. A solution is to use III-V materials alloys having semiconductor, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. These materials, particularly nitrides such as GaN or AlN, enable advanced design of devices suitable for harsh environment. A micromechanical structure based on AlGaN/GaN/AlN cantilevers coupled with a High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) is stress-sensitive and can act as a mechanical sensing device suited to harsh environments. The study of stress distribution after the structure release is necessary to assess its possible influence on the HEMT output. In this article, we propose a method to evaluate these stresses that is based on topology measurements. By coupling numerical modelling and laser interferometry measurements, both intrinsic and residual stresses, respectively the stress before and after release, are calculated. These results are then corroborated by stress measurements using MicroRaman spectroscopy. A residual stress distribution ranging from 140 MPa to 260 MPa is obtained in the HEMT area. However, the influence of this stress can be neglected against the influence of spontaneous polarization in GaN alloys.
2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Low Frequency Test for RF MEMS Switches
G. P. Rehder, S. Mir, L. Rufer, E. Simeu and H. N. Nguyen, "Low Frequency Test for RF MEMS Switches," 2010 Fifth IEEE International Symposium on Electronic Design, Test & Applications, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2010, pp. 350-354, doi: 10.1109/DELTA.2010.16.
In order to envision fault-tolerant SiPs and SoCs containing RF MEMS switches, this paper studies easily embedded low frequency tests for capacitive switches. The correlation between high frequency (S parameters) and low frequency (envelope of the high frequency signal) responses of a capacitive RF MEMS switch is analysed. This has been done by modeling both the electromechanical and RF behaviours of the switch and by a statistical simulation of the switch with Monte Carlo method. Next, it has been possible to predict the insertion loss, return loss and isolation of the switch from the low frequency measurements for a broad frequency range. Furthermore, by using the obtained correlations for two different frequencies, it was possible to recreate the S-parameters for the entire frequency spectrum with good agreement.
Comunicação e Redes em mmWaves -----------------------------
Materiais e Dispositivos Optoeletrônicos -----------------------------
Photonic band gap maps for wurtzite GaN and AlN
E. G. Melo, G. P. Rehder and M. I. Alayo, "Photonic band gap maps for wurtzite GaN and AlN," 2014 29th Symposium on Microelectronics Technology and Devices (SBMicro), Aracaju, Brazil, 2014, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/SBMicro.2014.6940102.
GaN and AlN have attracted a great attention in the photonics researches. The large band gaps of these materials turn them suitable for nanophotonic devices that operate in light ranges from visible to deep ultraviolet. The photonic band gap maps obtained from plane wave calculations of common structures in wurtzite GaN and also in AlN were presented and analyzed. A complete photonic band gap with flat bands in the M - K direction was observed in the triangular lattice of air holes in dielectric medium.
Study of built-in stress distribution in AlGaN/GaN/AlN heterostructure based cantilevers for mechanical sensing in harsh environments
S. Vittoz, L. Rufer, G. Rehder, R. Srnanek and J. Kovac, "Study of built-in stress distribution in AlGaN/GaN/AlN heterostructure based cantilevers for mechanical sensing in harsh environments," 2011 4th IEEE International Workshop on Advances in Sensors and Interfaces (IWASI), Savelletri di Fasano, Italy, 2011, pp. 17-20, doi: 10.1109/IWASI.2011.6004678.
Some industrial areas as oil, automotive and aerospace industries, require electromechanical systems working in harsh environments. A solution is to use III-V materials alloys having semiconductor, piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties. These materials, particularly nitrides such as GaN or AlN, enable advanced design of devices suitable for harsh environment. A micromechanical structure based on AlGaN/GaN/AlN cantilevers coupled with a High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) is stress-sensitive and can act as a mechanical sensing device suited to harsh environments. The study of stress distribution after the structure release is necessary to assess its possible influence on the HEMT output. In this article, we propose a method to evaluate these stresses that is based on topology measurements. By coupling numerical modelling and laser interferometry measurements, both intrinsic and residual stresses, respectively the stress before and after release, are calculated. These results are then corroborated by stress measurements using MicroRaman spectroscopy. A residual stress distribution ranging from 140 MPa to 260 MPa is obtained in the HEMT area. However, the influence of this stress can be neglected against the influence of spontaneous polarization in GaN alloys.