Microfabricated G-Band Antenna Arrays, Phase I

This proposal addresses the need for an antenna technology platform that meets the requirements of high-performance materials, exacting dimensional tolerances, and the geometrical design freedom to enable planar antenna array technologies for frequencies greater than 100GHz. The PolyStrata fabrication technology, being developed at Nuvotronics, LCC, Blacksburg, VA., is capable of meeting or exceeding all of the requirements outlined to be a solution for these frequencies. Air-filled copper rectangular coaxial transmission lines are fabricated using a photolithographically defined layer-by-layer process. The resulting transmission lines are extremely broadband, low-dispersion, high-isolation, and low loss compared to other forms of planar transmission lines. These lines are smaller than rectangular waveguides because the transverse cross-sections of the lines are not resonant. Phase I of this work includes designing a frequency-scanned antenna-array operating from 140-160GHz that would provide ±16^o beam steering with a beamwidth of 0.5^o and 400MHz per beam bandwidth. An antenna array with this performance would require roughly a 24cm by 24cm aperture to fabricate. This is possible using 4 sub-arrays that each are fabricated on a single wafer and then tied together to achieve the overall system performance. The approach will offer a high-yield, cost effective product that will meet the NASA needs.

Potential NASA Commercial Applications: Other agencies (Air Force, Navy) could use the GLARA's autonomous landing advantages as well as its small payload in autonomous landing and harbor guidance. The FSA would provide a substantially smaller payload for aircraft and heightened resolution in topography and velocity measurements. The GLARA realized by the batch-level PolyStrata process can reduce costthereby making the autonomous landing radar a viable solution on many aircraft increasing long-term safety of craft and personnel. Harbor guidance for ships deals with the same weather and atmospheric-related issues. Additional applications include weather warnings and atmospheric research, especially where radar is mounted on aircraft or other vehicles to conduct surveys. The cost advantages would aid in the proliferation of radar at these frequencies. Since many of the current generation radars used for weather warning systems and meteorological forecasts are being updated with newer technologies [Heinselman, 2008], the GLARA innovations could offer cost and size advantages.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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