German Research Foundation (DFG)

Project Initiator:

Riedl, Thomas, Prof. Dr. rer. nat.
Chair of Electronic Devices
Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Pfeiffer, Ullrich, Prof. Dr. rer. nat.
High Frequency Systems in Communications Technology / Terahertz-Technology, Automotive Radar Systems
Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Project Objectives:

Thin-film technologies and devices have made a tremendous progress over the past decades. However, the achievable cutoff frequency of thin-film transistors remains comparatively small, which presents a severe challenge towards the realization of exible RF electronics. The 10by10.com main objective is to combine advanced metal-oxide thin-lm technologies with advanced RF circuit design methodologies to realize a technology breakthrough in high-frequency exible electronics for wireless communication systems. This technological breakthrough is enabled by a ten-fold improvement of fT through continued device optimization and scaling and yet another ten-fold speed-enhancement through innovative harmonic circuit design techniques beyond the device cutoff frequency. This is achieved by operating the devices well-beyond their cutff-frequency, either harmonically, or, based on the principle of distributed resistive self-mixing.

Informations

Project duration:
Sep 2015 - Dez 2018

Funding:
German Research Foundation (DFG)

Tags
flexible RF electronics, metal-oxide TFT, wireless communication, circuit design

Second project phase

A metal-oxide TFT technology platform for flexible RF communication systems - Phase 2

Support Code: DFG PF 661/8-2

Project Objectives:
Thin-film technologies and devices have made a tremendous progress over the past decades. However, the achievable cutoff frequency of thin-film transistors remains comparatively small, which presents a severe challenge towards the realization of flexible RF electronics. The 10by10.com main objective is to combine advanced metal-oxide thin-film technologies with advanced RF circuit design methodologies to realize a technology breakthrough in high-frequency flexible electronics for wireless communication systems. This technological breakthrough is enabled by a ten-fold improvement of fT through continued device optimization and scaling and yet another ten-fold speed-enhancement through innovative harmonic circuit design techniques beyond the device cutoff frequency. As a result of phase one, this double ten-fold (10by10) performance has been reached, (i) at the level of receiver components detecting signals beyond the GHz-barrier, and (ii) on the device-level reaching fTs as high as 324MHz. The aim of the second phase is to benefit from our achievements in phase one to progress on transmitters (high-power TFTs) and to further improve the device technology and circuits to enable wireless communication beyond the GHz-barrier at the end of year 6.

The GHz barrier in the device technology has already been broken, both in terms of transit frequency and the maximum oscillation frequency. The results are presently being published.

Informations

Project duration:
Oct 2018 - Dec 2021

Funding:
German Research Foundation (DFG)

Tags
flexible RF electronics, metal-oxide TFT, wireless communication, circuit design