Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
Adv Mater. 2017 Apr;29(15). doi: 10.1002/adma.201605198. Epub 2017 Feb 15.
Radio-frequency (RF) electronics, which combine passive electromagnetic devices and active transistors to generate and process gigahertz (GHz) signals, provide a critical basis of ever-pervasive wireless networks. While transistors are best realized by top-down fabrication, relatively larger electromagnetic passives are within the reach of printing techniques. Here, direct writing of viscoelastic silver-nanoparticle inks is used to produce a broad array of RF passives operating up to 45 GHz. These include lumped devices such as inductors and capacitors, and wave-based devices such as transmission lines, their resonant networks, and antennas. Moreover, to demonstrate the utility of these printed RF passive structures in active RF electronic circuits, they are combined with discrete transistors to fabricate GHz self-sustained oscillators and synchronized oscillator arrays that provide RF references, and wireless transmitters clocked by the oscillators. This work demonstrates the synergy of direct ink writing and RF electronics for wireless applications.
射频（RF）电子学结合了无源电磁器件和有源晶体管，用于产生和处理千兆赫（GHz）信号，为无处不在的无线网络提供了关键基础。虽然晶体管通过自上而下的制造工艺实现最佳效果，但相对较大的电磁无源器件则可以通过印刷技术来实现。在这里，采用粘性银纳米粒子油墨的直接书写方法，生产出了一系列广泛应用于 45GHz 及以上的 RF 无源器件。这些器件包括集总元件，如电感和电容，以及基于波的元件，如传输线、它们的谐振网络和天线。此外，为了展示这些印刷 RF 无源结构在有源 RF 电子电路中的实用性，将它们与离散晶体管结合，制造出 GHz 自维持振荡器和同步振荡器阵列，为振荡器提供 RF 参考，并为无线发射器提供时钟信号。这项工作展示了直接墨水书写和 RF 电子学在无线应用中的协同作用。
