Large Area Portable Radar Antenna Arrays

In this Phase I SBIR proposal, MicroConnex (MCX) proposes to investigate the fabrication of arrays of high-performance thin film silicon (Si) transistors on flexible polymer films. There is a strong need for high performance semiconductor devices for applications where high frequency operation, light weight, and conforming to a curved surface is required for radar and other applications. Suitable products are not commercially available. MCX proposes to investigate a transfer process for producing high-performance thin film Si devices on flexible polymer substrates. Initially a feasibility study will be conducted in order to assess the practicality of MCX's proposed proprietary process. Some basic proof-of-concept experiments will be conducted. The proprietary process involves depositing elemental Si on a metal substrate at high temperature, and then transferring the fabricated devices to a polymer film. The process is completely scalable and large arrays of devices can be fabricated and transferred simultaneously. In Phase I, MCX will work with the University of Washington to perform device and process modeling. Modeling done at the UW indicates that the transistors may be useful up towards 25 GHz. In Phase II, the device fabrication will be optimized and scaled up for use with large flexible substrates.