I-Corps: Passive Electronics Miniaturization Technology

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to enable the realization of extremely small, light, high frequency, high inductance, low interference, and cost effective passive electronic devices and components, through the self-rolled-up membrane nanotechnology. The novel form factor for 3D electromagnetic energy storage and confinement could enable breakthrough applications for consumer electronics, smart cities, and the Internet of Things. If successful, this technology can revolutionize the market for high frequency low noise system-on-chip, portable communication devices at 5G and beyond, and wearable electronics, power electronics, wireless sensors for medical imaging and positioning, and wireless body area networks. This I-Corps project is based on the self-rolled-up membrane (S-RuM) nanotechnology for extreme miniaturization of passive electronic devices and components. It provides a novel fabrication pathway for realizing devices in 3D that are extremely small and light, with significantly enhanced functionalities. The overarching principle of S-RuM nanotechnology is strain-driven spontaneous deformation of 2D membranes into 3D architectures. For coil inductors, instead of spiraling the metal wires in plane to increase the inductance, the S-RuM inductors have the metal wires spiraling normal to surface, which naturally minimizes the in-plane footprint. The ultra-small enclosed footprint inevitably enables high frequency operation because of the minimum overlap capacitance with the substrate. Much higher inductance can be achieved because of the strong positive mutual coupling between the turns. In particular, on-chip 3D radio frequency (RF) /microwave/millimeter wave passive devices can be realized that are 1 ? 2 orders of magnitude smaller than those fabricated with conventional CMOS-compatible 2D processes.