Magnetostatic Wave Resonators For Millimeter Wave Integrated Circuits

In this DARPA SBIR Phase II program, Metamagnetic Inc., in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, proposes to leverage multiple recent breakthroughs in magnetostatic wave (MSW) devices (e.g., auto-tune filters), self-biased hexaferrites, and monolithically integrated circulators to achieve a compact thin-film based MSW resonator utilizing hexaferrites for operation up to 110 GHz. This proposed effort will address the challenges associated with the performance of resonators working in the W-Band by growing hexaferrites with high anisotropy and high Q that would allow to design high performing resonators. Current state of the art hexaferrite resonators typically work up to 50 GHz and rely only on the ferrimagnetic resonance (FMR). In this effort hexaferrites will be doped with a small amount of aluminum that will push the frequency up yet not degrade the Q. These hexaferrite will be grown on lattice matched substrates utilizing liquid phase epitaxy (LPE). Integration onto a MMIC substrate will be carried out by Northrop Grumman in order to allow to measure the resonance at such high frequencies. Design efforts will be carried out to achieve high coupling to the MSW band at 110 GHz. The overall goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of exciting MSW in hexaferrites at W-Band which would provide a path for emerging W-Band components such as oscillators, filters, and mixers used in commercial and defense communication systems.