Distributed Electronics

Direct-Write Thermal Spray (DWTS) is proposed as an innovative new technology for applica-tion for Distributed Electronics. Four key application areas have been identified: 1) Distributed Sensing and Environmental Monitoring, 2) DistributedElectromagnetics, 3) Distributed Wiring and Connectivity, and 4) Distributed Semiconductor Devices. These interrelated topical areas will be cohesively integrated to provide radical new approaches for electronics integration on new and pre-existingsurfaces. Examples include instrumenting vehicle surfaces (airplanes, ships, tanks), ordinance (missiles and their containers, shells), and building surfaces with sensing, E-M capability (antennas and/or radar-jamming), and wiring/connectivity (forsignal, power, RF, communication, sensing and actuation signals). Also, the ability to deposit semiconductor materials such as Si and Ge in a distributed fashion without the need for expensive fabrication facilities is of enormous interest for innovativenew applications as well as in-the-field repair.DWTS can be used to fabricate sensors (temperature, humidity, strain, heat flux, magnetic, crack propagation, etc); antennas; conducting wires, passive components (capacitors, inductors, and resistors), and semiconductor materials, making it an extremelyversatile tool for Distribute Electronics applications. We have partnered with AIL, NRL, Boeing Corp., and NUWC for identification of key end-use applications as well as to forge a commercialization path. The successful implementation of direct-writethermal spray (DWTS) technology can have dramatic and far-reaching impact on the emerging field of distributed electronics. In particular, the unique materials and device capabilities of DWTS represents an enabling technology for distributed sensing,electromagnetics (antennas and radar jamming), wiring and connectivity, and semiconductor active devices. In this sense, it is a disruptive technology. Indeed, DWTS can deposit metals, insulators, polymers, semiconductors, and combinations of thesematerials, both in multilayer form and as graded materials.Furthermore, since DWTS is a direct-write-based technology, the technology enjoys tremendous versatility in terms of the surface topology DWTS is used to pattern. For example, conformal (both convex and concave) surfaces, surfaces with large areas (10+square meter), and flexible surfaces (even moving) can be coated using the existing DWTS technology infrastructure.DoD applications under consideration include fabricating antennas (traditional, fractal, genetic-algorithm designed) and antenna arrays (phased arrays); distributed sensor arrays for environmental and surface condition monitoring; semiconductor devicesincluding P-N junction diodes for rectification, varactors, and frequency tuning as well as FET devices, which are currently under investigation.The technology can applied to wide range of new and pre-existing military vehicles, buildings, ordinance, shipping containers, even solder's equipment. The technology shows equal promise in the commercial sectors in terms of, for example, instrumentingthe wings of aircraft or large stationary structures (buildings, bridges, automobiles) for temperature, strain, crack propagation, creep, etc. Similarly the capability to deposit new and innovative antenna technologies on a variety of surfaces would beextremely useful as the revolution in wireless communication continues into full gear.