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Millimeter- and Submillimeter-Wave Front End Development for Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere with Cyclic Olefin Copolymer Substrates
Completed
TRL 4 (started at 3, targeting 4)
Description
In our 2018 IRAD, we successfully fabricated 50 µm thick spun-on Topas based microwave couplers for the WR 4.3 and WR 2.8 frequency bands. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first group to fabricate Topas based microwave couplers using a spin-cast Topas technique. Under this activity, we will optimize the Topas coupler fabrication method to minimize loss, eliminate potential shorts, and extend operating temperature and frequency range. The fabricated Topas couplers will exhibit physical flexibility and be ultra-thin.
Benefits
Microwave couplers are necessary parts for radiometer calibration and lead to the enhancement of calibration certainty as well as enable high frequency measurements for Earth Science/Planetary instruments. Low loss, miniaturized microwave couplers however, are not commercially available at the high frequencies of interest for many of these instruments. Therefore, we will develop WR 4.3, WR 2.8 and WR 1.5 spin-cast Topas based microwave couplers which will close a technology gap ensuring the availability of miniaturized, low loss, flexible couplers for Earth Science/Planetary instruments and other applications. Additionally, investigations of the spun Topas substrate completed under this activity will open the door of possibilities in using this unique material for numerous active/passive devices that operate in the GHz/THz regime.
Details
| Technology area | Sensors and Instruments > Remote Sensing Instruments and Sensors > Microwave, Millimeter Waves, and Submillimeter Waves |
| Program | Center Innovation Fund: GSFC CIF (GSFC CIF) |
| Lead organization | Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD |
| Start date | 2020-10-01 |
| End date | 2021-09-30 |
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