(1) Brief View of Materials Research in Functional Materials (2) Commercialization Processes Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Executive Director of Technology Commercialization Programs Email:
Jan 29, 2016
(1) Brief View of Materials Research in Functional Materials(2) Commercialization Processes
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Executive Director of Technology Commercialization Programs
Email: [email protected]
Outline
• Mention of the projects in the Kingon research group, especially those related to NASA
• Few words on our technology commercialization programs
Mainstream Silicon Devices: Gate Dielectrics
• Development of new dielectrics to replace SiO2, and the gate metals
• Part of the NCSU-led Front End Process Center
• Primarily SRC/Sematech funded
• 9 universities, about 25 faculty
Ferroelectric Memory
• Development of ferroelectric thin films for ferroelectric nonvolatile memory
• Low density devices now in commercial production
• Many materials issues associated with the development of high density devices
• NCSU role– New materials– Advanced characterization techniques based
upon scanning probes
Two Critical Core Competencies
• Dielectric and ferroelectric materials, especially thin films– Composite dielectrics– Materials such as (Ba,Sr)TiO3 (or ‘BST’)
which are nonlinear dielectrics
• Flexible substrates– Metal– Polymer
Nonlinear Dielectrics for RF/Microwave Frontends
• Voltage tunable dielectrics
• Allows design of frequency agile front end systems– Varactors for band pass filters– Frequency tunable antenna systems– Different approaches for different frequencies
(patch, microstrip, resonator, EBG)
High and Low Frequency Comparison• Materials optimization based upon low f measurements• Must justify applicability of method
50
100
150
200
250
300
10-4 10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101
Per
mit
tivi
ty
Frequency (GHz)
80
120
160
200
0
1
2
3
4
5
-8 -4 0 4 8
Per
mit
tivi
ty
Loss tan
gent · 10
-2Applied Voltage (V)
100 kHz100 kHz
100 MHz100 MHz
• Planar capacitors measured at low and high frequencies. • Tunability and loss tangent values comparablecomparable• Low frequency measurements are extendable to high frequency
Conventional Band Pass Filter Design
• Lumped element circuit
• 200 MHz Chebychev design
Dielectric
RF out
Bondwires
BST Capacitors(Top Electrode)
DecouplingCapacitors
BST
Inductors
RF in + DC bias(via a bias-tee)
Microstrip’s Ground Plane
Ground Plane for the BST capacitors
Connect decouplingcapacitors to theground
Conventional Filter Measurements• 3rd order Band Pass Filter (measured)
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Frequency (MHz)
Inse
rtio
n L
oss
(dB
)
0 V
5 V3 V
-40
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Frequency (MHz)
Ret
urn
Los
s (d
B)
0 V5 V
3 V
• Results of NCSU filter analysis consistent with Raytheon measurements
Embedded Passive Components
• Composite dielectrics in polymer based flexible substrates (ie HDI)
• Replace surface mounted components
• Generation 2 commercialized (35 million cell phones)
• Generation 3 being scaled
Dielectrics on Flexible Substrates
Gossamer
• Qortek/PSU/NCSU
• Polymer-based actuators
• Flexible electronic circuit on Kapton/copper
Piezoelectric Applications
• Novel Cooling Concepts– Acoustic streaming– Development of acoustic resonators– Analytical modeling of piezoelectric actuators
in bending mode
Flexible Sensor Networks
• US Air Force Project just initiating
• Strain, acceleration, pressure sensors on large flexible ‘tiles’ which are embedded onto wings structures
• Antenna array for data communication to the fuselage
Stressed Unimorphs
• Type of low cost bending mode piezoelectric actuator
• Long-term development of these materials at NASA-Langley (plus spin-out)
• We have developed applications for these types of actuators– DARPA microrobot program– Piezoelectric solid state motors
Rotary Thundermotor with Tachometer Wheel
GSFC Space Telescope
• Discussion only
• Need for shutter arrays
Part 2: Technology Commercialization Programs
Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Program
• Unique program
• Develops viable business propositions from technology sources
• Two routes– Using MBA and Ph.D science/engineering
students in a 3 course sequence– Using professional business analysts
• NASA one of the sources of technology (eg Langley optical sensors
Program Uniqueness
• Process or methodology for the this “fuzzy front end” of innovation
• Emphasis on high tech, high growth potential
Program Impact
• Created > 400 jobs
• Raised more that $120 million of venture funding
• Assisted the business development of about 20 companies
• Many other outcomes
• url: www.tec.ncsu.edu