PRIME · Predictive Reliability for High Power RF MEMS
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-07-01 → 2023-06-30
- EU contribution
- €153,085
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Predictive Reliability for High Power RF MEMS
High-power radio-frequency communication systems (e.g. Radars and Satellite Communications) are supporting our everyday activities by enabling safe transportation of people and goods around the planet as well as long-distance communications. These systems are relying on electronic components capable to deal with the corresponding signals including signal routing switches. Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems for Radio Frequency applications (RF MEMS) are considered as devices with great potential to take over critical functionalities, such as signal routing. Thus, their implementation in next generation communication systems will further support the realization of novel and/or additional applications in the corresponding domains with valuable benefits on our lifestyle and quality and security of our lives. However, for RF MEMS, despite the widely accepted exceptional features they own, their reliability remains an open issue and a general concern. This is due to their strongly interdisciplinary nature involving the mechanical, electrical, micro/nano fabrication and microwave domains that renders reliability studies a very challenging task to accomplish. The PRIME vision was to introduce a fresh perspective on the assessment of (high-power) RF MEMS reliability and physics. The way to achieve this was by combining conventional reliability testing with machine learning techniques towards enabling failure related predictive diagnostics. Nevertheless, the project was a holistic approach and apart from the machine learning reinforced studies, also included RF-design tasks, micro/nano-fabrication activities, and implementation of diverse characterization techniques having always in mind to support the development of the fellow’s profile, to maximize the transfer of knowledge between the fellow and the host and to disseminate the results to the broader possible audience. Overall PRIME successfully achieved to develop a family of RF MEMS switches capable to support diverse requirements in terms of RF response and power handling. Further to these, aspects related to high-power reliability physics have been identified and studied. Finally, machine learning based methodologies supported by either simulated or experimentally obtained data have been introduced. These were achieved via a workplan that strengthened the fellow skills and presence in this field.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
None of us can even imagine spending a day without using a mobile phone or staying far away from a wi-fi area. A deeper insight however reveals that high-power wireless communication systems, such as Radars and Satcoms, have even greater impact on our everyday lives by supporting safe and effective transportation and long-distance communications. This is practically enabled only thanks to electronic components capable to deal with the corresponding signals. Among others, Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems for Radio Frequency applications (RF MEMS) are now widely accepted as superior to their counterparts, with their reliability however remaining an open issue and a general concern. This is not only due the demanding scientific nature of the problem but also due to the difficulty to generalize the outcomes of even well-organized studies. Further to these, working in the high-power regime, RF MEMS will have to deal with an additional bunch of issue, presently marginally studied, making failure prediction an even more complicated accomplishment. PRIME aspires to address this issue by identifying the proper high-power reliability testing and to combine this with the strength of machine learning techniques towards failure prediction. This will be achieved through an interdisciplinary approach relying on placing a fellow with expertise on device reliability physics to a host group working on high power RF electronic devices and systems, supported by two carefully designed secondment, for RF design and for machine learning techniques. Overall, PRIME envisions to equip RF MEMS scientists, engineers and stakeholders with a powerful tool that enables predictive diagnostics paving the way for overcoming the persisting reliability bottleneck, particularly concerning state of art high power applications.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS · IRAKLEIOCoordinatorGreece
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union