Innovative Manufacturing Processes

"Teravicta Technologies proposes innovative solutions to greatly improve RF MEMS manufacturing technology, thereby enabling cost-effective production of high performance, high reliability, and low cost X-band phase shifters for next generation large MDAfire control radars. The objective of this Phase I proposal is to perform trade studies, supported by RF modeling and experimental measurements, that validate and prioritize new design and manufacturing process extensions for the scaling of today'scommercial-grade RF MEMS switch technology, to meet MDA X-band radar system performance, reliability, and cost requirements. The outcome of the effort will be both a manufacturing technology roadmap and an RF-simulated design of a robust, low-costpackaged three-bit X-band phase shifter employing ultra-low loss ohmic contact RF MEMS switches. Teravicta will work with its manufacturing partners to validate cost projections. The market opportunity for RF MEMS switches alone will be greater than $3Bannually in 2004. There is a high degree of synergy between the RF switch needs for commercial markets (e.g., cell phones, wireless LANS, and set top boxes) and those for military and aerospace markets. There exist near term applications in both of thesemarkets for low loss RF switches.Looking further down the road, more advanced products can build upon the extraordinary advances of the low loss RF MEMS switch: for example, steerable antennas and