SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will utilize an innovative high output ultraviolet (UV) lithography 0.25 mm T-gate fabrication process to develop high yield and high throughput manufacturing of millimeter-wave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) transceivers on 6" substrates. This effort will focus on (1) developing high quality 6" metamorphic wafers for high circuit yield; (2) demonstrate a metamorphic field-effect transistor (FET) using a 0.25 mm T-gate (non-E beam) process, (3) select the key MMIC to combine for high performance transceiver functionality. Successful completing of these objectives will serve as the basis for combining proven MMICs for the design and fabrication of Ka-band and E-Band transceivers.

The MMIC technology market has shown great potential for applications in telecommunications (including radar-based systems). Single function MMIC designs require expensive machining and packaging. This effort should to a lower-cost transceiver for the $10 billion MMIC market.

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop an innovative low-cost W-band (70-80 GHz) single chip transceiver using the metamorphic wafer technology developed in Phase I, and efficiently integrating the various MMIC components. The low cost non-electronic beam FET processes, MM HEMTs, and initial chip designs developed in Phase I will be used for the development of the fully integrated transceiver in Phase II. The resulting new technology will enable the MMW industry to be cost effective to expand the commercial market to achieve the low cost and high performance required in the industry. This project will enable enhanced performance and low cost consumer compatible volume production of automotive collusion avoidance radar systems, MMW tracking systems, and security radar and detection systems.