Contact
Dr. Afshin Ziaei
afshin.ziaei@thalesgroup.com
- Project coordinator.
- End user.
- RF MEMS technology qualifier.
- TRX module qualification.
- SMARTEC prototype verification at TRL8
- SMARTEC pilot line marketing and development contributor.
- Participation to the SMARTEC foreground activities
THALES Research & Technology is the main multidisciplinary research unit of the THALES group, one of the major world players in civilian & professional electronics. Through its internal activities and scientific links with industries and universities, either in France or internationally, TRT is participating in the preparation of THALES industrial future in strategic R&D fields. In addition to R&D activities, TRT also provides scientific and technical advice, expertise or services for the company. TRT has been participating in or leading numerous research programs, either national or EU-funded, in the frame of ACTS, TELEMATICS, ESPRIT, BRITE-EURAM, TMR, FP7, ISM programs. Its technological lead in these high-added-value fields naturally is compounded with the best production solution at the lowest cost. Owing to its production capacities and to its organizational flexibility, THALES Research & Technology ranks among top competitors worldwide. Technological expertise and extensive know-how make THALES Research & Technology a privileged partner for developing top-performance and highly competitive products and systems.
The works undergone by THALES in the field of RF MEMS dates back from 1994, and have been initially related to various studies carried out in the field of Wireless Sensors Remotely Powered by Microwaves. These studies revealed the need for a special function making it possible to transfer in free space digital data flows on 2.45 GHz frequency carriers, with a drastic constraint of reduced power dissipation (P < 5 μW). The traditional solution using a VCO being largely inefficient, a new concept based on a MEMS microwave frequency translator was designed and simulated with specific tools by TRT, then implemented in SiO2/Si technology thanks to a close co-operation with ESIEE, and finally successfully tested in the field, during a test on wireless sensors embedded in concrete. Since 1999, TRT has concentrated its efforts on the combination of Microwave Photonics and RF MEMS technologies for the development of active antennas. Among the different RF MEMS subjects in which TRT is now actively involved, the main functions under study are: power switches, MEMS power limiters, and controllable inductors and capacitors. The RF MEMS skills of TRT cover different levels of design expertise:
- Choice of the physics of the devices
- Design and simulation of innovative RF-NEMS functions
- Performance analysis (from the physical to the functional level) using proprietary and commercial software simulators
- Operational constraints analysis (from the characteristics of the signals to be processed down to the packaging performance simulation)
- Participation to the technological choices (co-operation with the technology providers) derived from operational and functional choices.