(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: Angus_kingon@ncsu.edu

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

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300

10-4 10-3 10-2 10-1 100 101

Per

mit

tivi

ty

Frequency (GHz)

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0

1

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-8 -4 0 4 8

Per

mit

tivi

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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)

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0 100 200 300 400 500

Frequency (MHz)

Inse

rtio

n L

oss

(dB

)

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5 V3 V

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-5

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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