High Performance and Low Cost Hybrid Microwave Structure

Access to the space is fundamentally very expensive. One of the most effective ways to lower the cost is obviously to reduce the weight and size of the payloads while maintaining high performance. Microwave communication is the most important and practical communication method used in the space mission, which has created a need for dramatically improved microwave devices. The agility of tunable microwave devices can efficiently reduce the size and weight of a space radar system, as well as provide the remote control functionality. In this proposal, Boston Applied Technologies, therefore, proposes a revolutionary approach to develop a unique ferroelectric/ferrite hybrid substrate using a nanophase pressure assisted sintering (PAS) technology for adaptive microwave applications. In this approach, both the ferrite and ferroelectric materials will be formed as nanocrystal phase under high pressure in one step. This low-cost nanophase PAS technology is capable to make ferroelectric/ferrite hybrid nanocrystal structure with the lowest possible material loss. The hybrid structure developed in this program will lead to a new generation of microwave devices that can be tuned either electrically, or magnetically, or both, which is particularly suitable for low cost, high performance military space applications.