STTR Phase I: Novel Nanoparticle Complexes for Tunable Dielectric Materials

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project seeks to develop new low-loss materials for tunable dielectrics, which are suitable for high-frequency applications and possess significant tunability at low temperatures. The most common tunable dielectric material is a ferroelectric. However, despite considerable advancements in the application of ferroelectrics to tunable dielectrics in recent years, these materials still possess unacceptable high losses and limited tunability, especially where application to high frequency and room temperature requirements must be met. The broader impacts/commercial potential will be the range of products that will benefit from improved tunable dielectric materials. Applications from cellular phones and hearing aids for consumers to remote sensing instruments and tunable microwave devices for industrial and military uses are made possible by the use of tunable dielectrics. The new nanocomposite materials enabled by the proposed innovation will provide lower losses and improved tunability at low voltages compared to current voltage tunable dielectric materials. These materials will enable smaller sized components, lower power consumption, and improved performance in existing applications and may also create opportunities for broader applications of the material. High-frequency tunable materials would also have application in both civilian and military applications, such as agile thin and thick film antennae, varactors (variable capacitors), phase shifters, tunable dielectric resonators, tunable impedance matching devices, tuned filters, and communication and remote sensing applications. The materials developed in this program will have a stimuli-responsive component, in that the dielectric permittivity will be sensitive to electric field effects.