Electronic components join forces to take up 10 times less space on
computer chips

Date:
August 10, 2020
Source:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau
Summary:
Electronic filters are essential to the inner workings of our phones
and other wireless devices. They eliminate or enhance specific input
signals to achieve the desired output signals. They are essential,
but take up space on the chips that researchers are on a constant
quest to make smaller. A new study demonstrates the successful
integration of the individual elements that make up electronic
filters onto a single component, significantly reducing the amount
of space taken up by the device.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Electronic filters are essential to the inner workings of our phones
and other wireless devices. They eliminate or enhance specific input
signals to achieve the desired output signals. They are essential, but
take up space on the chips that researchers are on a constant quest to
make smaller. A new study demonstrates the successful integration of
the individual elements that make up electronic filters onto a single component, significantly reducing the amount of space taken up by
the device.


========================================================================== Researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign have
ditched the conventional 2D on-chip lumped or distributed filter network
design -- composed of separate inductors and capacitors -- for a single, space-saving 3D rolled membrane that contains both independently designed elements.

The results of the study, led by electrical and computer engineering
professor Xiuling Li, are published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

"With the success that our team has had on rolled inductors and
capacitors, it makes sense to take advantage of the 2D to 3D self-assembly nature of this fabrication process to integrate these different components
onto a single self- rolling and space-saving device," Li said.

In the lab, the team uses a specialized etching and lithography process to pattern 2D circuitry onto very thin membranes. In the circuit, they join
the capacitors and inductors together and with ground or signal lines,
all in a single plane. The multilayer membrane can then be rolled into
a thin tube and placed onto a chip, the researchers said.

"The patterns, or masks, we use to form the circuitry on the 2D membrane
layers can be tuned to achieve whatever kind of electrical interactions
we need for a particular device," said graduate student and co-author
Mark Kraman.

"Experimenting with different filter designs is relatively simple
using this technique because we only need to modify that mask structure
when we want to make changes." The team tested the performance of the
rolled components and found that under the current design, the filters
were suitable for applications in the 1-10 gigahertz frequency range,
the researchers said. While the designs are targeted for use in radio
frequency communications systems, the team posits that other frequencies, including in the megahertz range, are also possible based on their
ability to achieve high power inductors in past research.

"We worked with several simple filter designs, but theoretically we can
make any filter network combination using the same process steps," said graduate student and lead author Mike Yang. "We took what was already out
there to provide a new, easier platform to lump these components together closer than ever." "Our way of integrating inductors and capacitors monolithically could bring passive electronic circuit integration
to a whole new level," Li said. "There is practically no limit to the complexity or configuration of circuits that can be made in this manner,
all with one mask set."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Illinois_at_Urbana-Champaign,_News_Bureau.

Original written by Lois Yoksoulian. Note: Content may be edited for
style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Zhendong Yang, Mark D. Kraman, Zhuoyuan Zheng, Haojie Zhao, Jialiang
Zhang, Songbin Gong, Yang Victoria Shao, Wen Huang, Pingfeng Wang,
Xiuling Li. Monolithic Heterogeneous Integration of 3D Radio
Frequency L- C Elements by Self‐Rolled‐Up Membrane
Nanotechnology.

Advanced Functional Materials, 2020; 2004034 DOI:
10.1002/adfm.202004034 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200810164012.htm

--- up 3 weeks, 5 days, 1 hour, 55 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)