THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS WORK IS TO DEVELOP MILLIMETER WAVE ARRAYS WITH ULTRA-HIGH ACCURACY ALIGNMENT (<300NM) USING HYBRID ALIGNED BONDING. CURRENTLY MOST SUBMILLIMETER-WAVE ARRAY SYSTEMS UTILIZE A SINGLE PIXEL BOTH FOR SPACE AS WELL AS GROUND APPLICATIONS. WHILE THESE APPROACHES ARE WORKABLE FOR THE NEAR-TERM THEY WILL BECOME UNSUSTAINABLE AS PIXEL COUNT IS INCREASED. IN ADDITION THE SHEAR MASS ASSOCIATED WITH LARGE COUNT HETERODYNE ARRAYS BASED ON SINGLE WAVEGUIDE BLOCK PER CHIP APPROACHES CAN BE A CHALLENGING TASK. IN THIS PROJECT WE PRESENT A 3D WAFER LEVEL INTEGRATION OF THIS TECHNOLOGY USING LOW COST ALIGNED DIRECT WAFER BONDING AT LOW TEMPERATURE OF 2000C. THIS WAFER LEVEL INTEGRATION MAY DECREASE 50-100X IN BOTH VOLUME AND MASS HENCE REDUCES THERMAL GRADIENT. AS OF TODAY MOST OF THE GAIN FLUCTUATIONS IN THIS DEVICE ARE COMING FROM THERMAL GRADIENTS. BY REDUCING THE SIZE AND MASS OF THE RADIOMETER THE THERMAL GRADIENTS THESE DEVICES WILL BE ABLE TO BE USED IN BALLOONS LANDERS OVERS AND ANY OTHER PLACE WHERE A COMPLETE REMOTE CHEMICAL LABORATORY MIGHT BE REQUIRED.
$0FY2020National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA
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