Title: Gigahertz Electromagnetic Structures via Direct Ink Writing for Radio-Frequency Oscillator and Transmitter Applications

Abstract

Radio–frequency (RF) electronics, which combine passive electromagnetic devices and active transistors to generate and process gigahertz (GHz) signals, provide a critical basis of ever–pervasive wireless networks. While transistors are best realized by top–down fabrication, relatively larger electromagnetic passives are within the reach of printing techniques. Here, direct writing of viscoelastic silver–nanoparticle inks is used to produce a broad array of RF passives operating up to 45 GHz. These include lumped devices such as inductors and capacitors, and wave–based devices such as transmission lines, their resonant networks, and antennas. Moreover, to demonstrate the utility of these printed RF passive structures in active RF electronic circuits, they are combined with discrete transistors to fabricate GHz self–sustained oscillators and synchronized oscillator arrays that provide RF references, and wireless transmitters clocked by the oscillators. Furthermore, this work demonstrates the synergy of direct ink writing and RF electronics for wireless applications.

Authors:

Zhou, Nanjia ^[1]; Liu, Chengye ^[1]; Lewis, Jennifer A. ^[1]; Ham, Donhee ^[1]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)

Publication Date:

Wed Feb 15 00:00:00 EST 2017

Research Org.:

Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Light-Material Interactions in Energy Conversion (LMI)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:

1388293

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1401755

Grant/Contract Number:  

SC0001293

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Advanced Materials

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 29; Journal Issue: 15; Related Information: LMI partners with California Institute of Technology (lead); Harvard University; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Journal ID: ISSN 0935-9648

Publisher:

Wiley

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 42 ENGINEERING; solar (photovoltaic); solid state lighting; phonons; thermal conductivity; electrodes - solar; materials and chemistry by design; optics; synthesis (novel materials); synthesis (self-assembly); 3D printing; microwaves; radio‐frequency electronics; silver ink; wireless