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Radio Flexible

English title Flexible Radio
Applicant Ionescu Mihai Adrian
Number 122134
Funding scheme Project funding
Research institution Laboratoire de microsystèmes 1 EPFL - STI - IMT - LMIS1
Institution of higher education EPF Lausanne - EPFL
Main discipline Microelectronics. Optoelectronics
Start/End 01.10.2008 - 30.09.2010
Approved amount 266'533.00
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Keywords (9)

Organic semiconductors; Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFT); pentacene; shadow masking; flexible substrate; RFID; organic electronics; radio frequency; stencil lithography

Lay Summary (English)

Lead
Lay summary
This project is the follow up to our two-year SNF Radio-On-Paper aiming to finalize the ambitious goal of the experimental demonstration of RF communication circuits, operating at tens of MHz, on flexible substrates as a key enabler for future ambient intelligence applications. In Flexible Radios we plan to combine the fine-tuning of established pentacene technology on polyimide flexible substrates and optimized devices with the full demonstration of low-power radio receiver (AM demodulator at 10MHz) on a flexible substrate. Technologically, we plan to reduce the operation voltage of the p-type transistor in a window of less than 5V by using a medium-k gate insulator, to finalize the optimization of the pentacene material deposition and its interface with the gate insulator by controlling the substrate temperature and, finally, to encapsulate the fabricated circuits and devices in a protective insulator. A p-MOSFET based receiver using two-metal level interconnect and L and C passives, on a flexible polyimide substrate, operating at 10MHz based on AM demodulation, will be fabricated and measured.The main technical and scientific goals and advancement beyond state-of-the art will concern:•At technology level:oFirst demonstration of a three-level stencil technology for deposition of organic semiconductor (level1), metal interconnect (level2) and encapsulation dielectric (level3) - a very challenging step and to our knowledge not yet demonstrated on a flexible substrate;oIntegration of medium-k gate dielectric for pentacene transistors;oEncapsulation technology for long-life (months) organic semiconductor devices.•At device level:oPhysics of carrier transport in pentacene devices and, especially, modeling of the hopping transport and calibration of a basic model for circuit design;oDesign and investigation of pentacene p-MOSFETs with medium-k dielectric.•At circuit level:oRealization of low power 10MHz radio receiver based on AM demodulation using pentacene transistors and passives on a flexible substrate;oDesign of elementary analog circuit blocks with pentacene p-type MOS transistors: oscillators and amplifiers, and evaluation of their electrical characteristics.
Direct link to Lay Summary Last update: 21.02.2013

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Associated projects

Number Title Start Funding scheme
113780 Radio on paper 01.10.2006 Project funding

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