Radar Technology/Unit Cost Reduction

"Recent pioneering work in the field of electrically tunable ferroelectric thin-film microwave devices provides compelling motivation to develop low cost manufacturing methods that will enable practical uses of these devices in commercial and defenseelectronic systems. NanoEngineering is a new company with a focus on engineering improved manufacturing methods for advanced electronic materials and devices. In this Phase I project, we plan to adapt for the purposes of microwave device fabrication anewly available, production-proven large wafer (200-mm) thin film process tool that was originally developed for the silicon integrated circuit industry. This project will be carried out in collaboration with the process tool company. Phase I materials anddevice will be tested and evaluated by the Naval Research Lab under subcontract. Success in Phase I will provide technical demonstrations that will point the way toward manufacturing process and device performance optimization in Phases II and III.During Phase I we will seek to identify a test vehicle application, in collaboration with a leading defense radar system OEM that will lead to technology insertion early in Phase III. Candidate radar applications include phase shifters and notch filters.There are also significant potential uses in the telecommunications and automotive industries. The work could produce lower cost, higher peformance tunable microwave system devices for applicatio