Past,present and future of ferroelectric and multiferroic thin films for array antennas

In addition to providing a number of microwave components with frequency agility and voltage-controlled impedance matching, ferroelectric thin films have enabled electrical-control of beam-steerabilty in both reflectarray and phased array antennas. We present a brief history of developments, beginning in the 1830s, which led to the realization of array antennas based on ferroelectric thin films. We highlight key performance differences provided by competing thin film deposition techniques, and we discuss the outlook of the impact that voltage-controlled magnetism and magnetoelasticity (provided by emerging multiferroic thin films) will have on future array antenna technologies.     

The National Ignition Facility neutron time-of-flight system and its initial performance (invited)

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) successfully completed its first inertial confinement fusion (ICF) campaign in 2009. A neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) system was part of the nuclear diagnostics used in this campaign. The nTOF technique has been used for decades on ICF facilities to infer the ion temperature of hot deuterium (D(2)) and deuterium-tritium (DT) plasmas based on the temporal Doppler broadening of the primary neutron peak. Once calibrated for absolute neutron sensitivity, the nTOF detectors can be used to measure the yield with high accuracy. The NIF nTOF system is designed to measure neutron yield and ion temperature over 11 orders of magnitude (from 10(8) to 10(19)), neutron bang time in DT implosions between 10(12) and 10(16), and to infer areal density for DT yields above 10(12). During the 2009 campaign, the three most sensitive neutron time-of-flight detectors were installed and used to measure the primary neutron yield and ion temperature from 25 high-convergence implosions using D(2) fuel. The OMEGA yield calibration of these detectors was successfully transferred to the NIF.     

Thin film BaxSr1-xTiO3 ku- and k-band phase shifters grown on MgO substrates

Abstract

We report measurements of gold circuits fabricated on four Ba_xSr_1-xTiO₃ ferroelectric films doped with 1% Mn grown on MgO substrates by laser ablation. Low frequency (1 MHz) measurements of σ_T and tanδ on interdigital capacitors are compared with high frequency measurements of phase shift and insertion loss on coupled microstrip phase shifters patterned onto the same films. The variation in temperature of both high and low frequency device parameters is compared. Annealed with amorphous buffer layer and unannealed films are compared. Room temperature figures of merit of phase shift per insertion loss of up to 58.4°/dB at 18 GHz and 400 V dc bias were measured.     

Thin films of CCVD Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 and SrTiO3 for electrically tunable coupled microstripline phase shifters

Abstract

Epitaxial barium strontium titanate and strontium titanate thin films were deposited on (100) MgO single-crystal substrates, utilizing Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposition. The as-deposited films were patterned with gold electrodes to form interdigitated structure to function as electrically tunable devices, namely, coupled microstripline phase shifters (CMPS). Microwave dielectric properties were characterized at 11–20 GHz with an applied electric field up to ±35 V/μm. A maximum figure of merit of 53°/dB at 20 GHz and 23°C was measured. The demonstrated high degree of tunability and relatively low loss showed great potential of these films for the targeted frequency agile device applications. Characterization, using SEM, EDS, and XRD, is presented in addition to microwave performance as a function of dc bias and frequency.     

A comparison of mocld with PLD BaxSr1−xTiO3 thin films on LaAIO3 for tunable microwave applications

Abstract

Historically, tunable dielectric devices using thin crystalline Ba_xSr_1-x TiO₃ (BST) films deposited on lattice-matched substrates, such as LaAlO₃, have generally been grown using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Highly oriented BST films can be grown by PLD but large projects are hampered by constraints of deposition area, deposition time and expense. The Metal-Organic Chemical Liquid Deposition (MOCLD) process allows for larger areas, faster turnover and lower cost. Several BST films deposited on LaAlO₃ by MOCLD have been tested in 16 GHz coupled microstrip phase shifters. They can be compared with many PLD BST films tested in the same circuit design. The MOCLD phase shifter performance of 293° phase shift with 53 V/μm dc bias and a figure of merit of 47°/dB is comparable to the most highly oriented PLD BST films. The PLD BST films used here have measured XRD full-width-at-half-maxima (FWHM) as low as 0.047°. The best FWHM of these MOCLD BST films has been measured to be 0.058°.     

Ferroelectric Thin Films-Based Technology for Frequency- and Phase-Agile Microwave Communication Applications

This paper deals with the current status of thin film ferroelectric-based frequency and phase agile microwave devices for communication applications. Researchers around the world have been active in this area for several years, and their results have been very relevant in determining the advantages and limitations of this technology when contrast with technology currently in use. The aforementioned results will be discussed in terms of device parameters such as RF losses, tunability, phase shift, frequency of operation, ease of fabrication, and projected cost, amongst others. Although the presentation will emphasize a NASA perspective, the information provided should offer a perspective of the attributes of this technology for other government agencies' electronically steerable electronics requirements, and for commercial communication applications.     

Ferroelectric thin film and broadband satellite systems

There are several microwave applications where tunable ferroelectric devices could play a key role in improving system performance, or they could provide the key technology that enables a system to be deployed. This article focuses on the Ka-band phased array antennas, but tunable filters, oscillators, and switches could also utilize these materials     

Study of behavior of digital modulations for beam steerable reflectarray antennas

This paper investigates the bit error rate (BER) performance of digital modulations in a system with a scanning reflectarray antenna. A reflectarray causes intersymbol interference (ISI) in a digitally modulated signal, its phase shifters' phase errors cause signal distortion, and its phase shifters' phase transient causes beam pattern degradation during direction switching. In this paper, composite signal models of the reflectarray are established for both static and transient states. Due to different feed-to-element distances and the element-to-observation distances, different delays exist in signal components. These delays cause ISI whose effect is analyzed and evaluated. Effects of phase shifters' phase errors and phase transient during beam switching are also analyzed and evaluated. Numerical calculations and simulations are performed. The analytical and simulation results for an example reflectarray at f/sub c/=26.5 GHz and bit rate of 1.325 Gbps show that the BER degradation due to ISI is proportional to the symbol rate and the loss ranges from about 1 dB to around 2 dB in E/sub b//N/sub o/, depending on original E/sub b//N/sub o/, for BPSK, QPSK, 8PSK, and 16QAM. The phase error effect is negligible for lower order modulations and is unacceptable for higher order modulations such as 64QAM and 256QAM. The degradation due to phase transient effect is about 2 dB for BPSK and QPSK.     

Advances in Scanning Reflectarray Antennas Based on Ferroelectric Thin-Film Phase Shifters for Deep-Space Communications

Though there are a few examples of scanning phased array antennas that have flown successfully in space, the quest for ldquolow costrdquo high-efficiency large-aperture microwave phased arrays continues. Fixed and mobile applications that may be part of a heterogeneous exploration communication architecture will benefit from the agile (rapid) beam steering and graceful degradation afforded by phased array antennas. The reflectarray promises greater efficiency and economy compared to directly radiating varieties. Implementing a practical scanning version has proven elusive. The ferroelectric reflectarray, under development and described herein, involves phase shifters based on coupled microstrip patterned on films that were laser ablated onto substrates. These devices outperform their semiconductor counterparts from X- through and K-band frequencies. There are special issues associated with the implementation of a scanning reflectarray antenna, especially one realized with thin-film ferroelectric phase shifters. This paper will discuss these issues, which include relevance of phase shifter loss; modulo 2 effects and phase shifter transient effects on bit error rate; scattering from the ground plane; presentation of a novel hybrid ferroelectric-semiconductor phase shifter; and the effect of mild radiation exposure on phase shifter performance.